Virtu Ferries' new catamaran out-runs pirates
A new Virtu Ferries catamaran managed to out-run pirates as it sailed near Somalia on its delivery trip from Australia to Malta.
Virtu Ferries said the vessel, Jean de la Valette, is currently on the last stage of its trip to Malta from its builders, Austal Ships, in Australia.
The vessel started the 7,700 nautical mile journey on August 26. The crew includes several Maltese.
The vessel made the 3,227 mile journey from Fremantle across the Indian Ocean to Male in 95 hours, despite very heavy seas. It then proceeded to Salalah in Oman and on towards Aden.
Several precautions were taken as the vessel transited the pirate-infested waters.
The departure date from Salalah was kept secret and barbed wire was placed along the ship's sides to make boarding difficult.
Security drills were held for the crew. Similar drills for engine room crews were carried out to isolate the engine rooms in both hulls.
The Jean de la Valette made the journey from Salalah to Aden at full speed, sometimes reaching 42 knots and was in constant contact with warships.
Virtu Ferries said that it was after the vessel entered the Red Sea through Bab El Mandeb that pirate skiffs were sighted and tried to approach the vessel. They, however, gave up due to the vessel's high speed.
Jean de la Valette kept other vessels informed of the position of the skiffs.
The vessel has now entered the Mediterranean and is due to arrive in Malta on Saturday.
Services between Malta and Sicily will start at the end of this month.
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Pule' Carmel
Sep 11th 2010, 10:20
With 85% of air being bypassed and 15% being used for combustion, that is a lot of air going through those engines. I wonder if we have enough trees left to replenish the oxygen.
I call the rotor effect, the MAGNUS effect. when air is flowwing on a circulating surface of the rotor there is lift generated and it could power ships, but I think this force is to low for modern required speeds. In Helicopters they now do away with the torque rotor by using contrarotating lifting rotors and by accelerating one more than the other , directional control can be achieved.
The schnider Voith propellor is being used on the SCHULPENGAT a ferry in holland that operates between the Island of TESO or Texel and Marsdiep. This ferry has four of them and the manouverability is fantastic. The ferry relaced the Marsdiep and the Texelstroom which came to Malta as the Gozo ferries Mgarr and Cittadella which I kept going for 12 years. They had magnetic amplifiers to control the generators and the motors and I tell you they were the biggest headaches in my engineering life.Everytime I was called to work onthem My heard pounded with fright.!!!!!
Jesmond Micallef
Sep 11th 2010, 15:54
Indeed, Anton Flettner devised the "Kolibri" helicopter with two intermeshing rotors:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flettner_Fl_282
Kaman helicopters of the USA use that same feature today on thier designs:
http://www.kamanaero.com/helicopters/kmax.html
Furthermore, I have also personally seen this exhibit at Wilhemshaven Marine Museum
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3179/2347605932_901c0cc58d.jpg
The boat in the middle of the picture is actually driven by a Voith Schneider propeller.
(PS: The photograph is not mine)
Pule' Carmel
Sep 11th 2010, 18:03
Mr Micallef, Thank you, I never saw that helicopter before. Looks efficient.
Jesmond Micallef
Sep 12th 2010, 04:31
You are welcome, Prof. Pule'.
The ferry "SCHULPENGAT" must be one of the most manouverable vessels around, indeed. I have found this illustration of the ship on the net. No need for bow thrusters here, thats for sure !! Very interesting.
http://www.ebedejong.nl/Texel/schulpengat-tek.jpg
Pule' Carmel
Sep 10th 2010, 18:51
at R Azzopardi. 40,000 Horses on the gallop for hours on end and believe me they are all so thirsty!! Someone mentioned the QE2. Would others care to guess the fuel consumption of a large cruise liner while crossing the ocean!! Just a clue, a 40 foot boat running at 30 knots would probably consume one gallon per mile. A large cruise liner consumes , wait for it, wait for it, one gallon to every SIX INCHES or every 15 centimtres. Would anyone care to guess what 50,000 horse power guzzle per mile! Would anyone care to guess the Tons of air per second rammed by the turbos all the way down the throat into those resiprocating cylinders!! I tell you the amount of air that is rammed down those engines per second would permit me to breath for ten years!! The large scale quantities of modern machinery is absolutely unbelievable. Incidentally in the tea clipper era the Cutty Sark, on sail alone used to do 25 Knots and it cost £15,000 pounds. It had diagonal steel bracing and it was a marvelous piece of engineering for its days. It made China to London is 30 days orless I believe!!
Jesmond Micallef
Sep 10th 2010, 21:28
You have previously mentioned gas turbines, so consider a typical B747 jumbo jet powered by 4 high bypass engines in cruising flight. Typical cruise fuel consumption per engine would be 3340 kg/hour. A flight from Heathrow to Los Angeles would take about 11 hours. So that makes it 146,960 kg (147 tons) of fuel one way !! Thats excluding take off and climb fuel. !! Air mass flow rate for a high bypass engine would typically be about 800 kg/sec. So with a bypass ratio of 5, 160 kg/sec go through the engine core per engine. Definitely, not all of this air is used for combustion as the engine internals such as turbine blades, disks and rotors, stator blades and bearings are cooled via internal passages. All that is needed in order to carry a 300 ton machine flying a Great Circle route across the North Atlantic at Mach 0.85 !! How many of these machines do that on daily basis ? The numbers here are staggering, to say the least.
Jesmond Micallef
Sep 10th 2010, 21:55
Profs Pule',
Has the University of Malta ever conducted any research or project work in conjunction with the Fletner rotor propulsion principles ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotor_ship
I tend to think that clever optimisation of this principle actively coupled with state of the art fuel efficient propulsive machinery, a potential exists for further fuel consumption reduction, somehow. Differential control of the rotors would do away with propellers and rudder directional control, in theory at least.
On a different note, but consider further this clever interactive demonstration of the Schneider Voith propeller :
http://www.voithturbo.com/545950.htm
Leif Nielsen
Sep 10th 2010, 17:57
Hello -next time I visit Malta, I take Jean de la Valette home to Copenhagen and return - Leif
R. Chetcuri
Sep 10th 2010, 16:52
Well done to Virtu Ferries for this new magnificent catamaran. Looking forward to greet a great & dear brother Capt. Noel Galea who was away and missed by all the family for the past 4 months!! Also well done to Capt. G. Saia and all other crew members! This is a great example of great teamwork leading to success!! WELL DONE!!!
Jesmond Micallef
Sep 10th 2010, 11:57
For the benefit of the readers :
1 knot = 1.852 km/h
I nautical mile = 1.852 km, and this corresponds to one minute of arc length of latitude on the earth's surface.
1 hp = 0.746 kw
Capt Anthony Chetcuti
Sep 10th 2010, 10:27
Congrats to Virtu Ferries management, on strenghtening your fleet with a new bigger HSC vessel. The dynamism to give a better service is outstanding.
Well done goes to all the ppl involved in this project, as well as to the Commandente and his crew.
Hope it arrives in daylight so we can get pics of her !
Nostromo is preparing for your arrival !
D.Galea
Sep 10th 2010, 09:57
This reminded me of an episode of Star Trek Voyager for some reason. Wonderful vessel "warping" through dangerous waters, I'd say it must have been one heck of an adventure for the crew. Well done!
Commodore
Sep 10th 2010, 08:03
A Big Well Done goes to Capt G. Saia, Capt N. Galea and the all the crew onboard.
Pule' Carmel
Sep 10th 2010, 02:24
Administrative decisions are sometimes difficult to decide. Would someone please answer the following questions if s/he was in charge to make a decision, when one or groups of people die in an incident.
Should all schools stop teaching for a period if one of the teacher dies?
Should the school stop teaching for a period if one of its employees dies?
Should a factory stop working for a period if any one of its employee dies?
Should Air Malta stop flying for a period if any of its crew passes away?
Should Virtu ferries stop their service for a period if one of their crew dies?
Should Mater Dei stop for a period if any nurse or doctor dies?
Should a farmer raising cows stop milking his cows if any member of his family dies?
Should the police force stop giving their service if any poiceman dies?
Should a commander stop fighting for a period if some of his soldiersdie ?
Should a bomber pilot stop flying if one of his crew dies ?
Should refuse disposal officers, firemen, cooks, priests, nuns, actors, entertainers etc etc etc.
We expect some would stop others we do not expect them to stop!!WHY?
Pule' Carmel
Sep 10th 2010, 01:35
@ R Cutajjar,
For high speed ferries, there are many powerful engines nowbeing used, including, diesels as MTU, Caterpillar, Textron Lycoming, etc, also 6.2 MW(7000hp) Taurus 60M marine gas turbines, Also combined diesel engine and gas turbine(CODAG) propulsion systems, the gas turbine being a marine version of the engine used to power the Boeing 747 jumbo airliner and the A380. These are the largest powers.(upto52knots)
MTU had orders for 20 cylinder diesel engines with a total vessel power of over 40,000 horse power. Modern powerful engines can run up 2000rpm and use four turbos which can come in at different revolutions.
Normally fast catamarans can have two engines in each hull combined to drive a KAMEWAwater jet with only one capable of reversing. The ones I saw some time ago had carbon fibre shafts and all engine rooms were unmanned with camera facilities all over. Touch screeen control permits the engineeer to control everything.
Some time ago a wooden wedge got swallowed by the intake of the underwater jet and stuck on the impeller blades. My colleague, a deep sea diver released the wedge after the captain ensured that no one will touch the propulsion controls to avoid any incidents.
Christian Sciberras
Sep 10th 2010, 00:23
Cheers to the captain!
I'd give him a raise!
I Abela
Sep 9th 2010, 22:44
Does anyone know what is that big hole in the front of the vessel?
Capt A. Chetcuti
Sep 12th 2010, 21:33
That large opening forward, leads down into the garage. On each side, forward, is another deck, above the garage deck, were the mooring winches are
Alf Farrugia
Sep 9th 2010, 21:40
@ Joe Fenech. With what? Not until someone gets his sword from the Louvre Museum for him!
Denis A. Darmanin
Sep 9th 2010, 21:13
@ Paul Zammit:
Maybe it's Pierre-Andre de Suffren Saint Tropez, the Bailli de Suffren, or Admiral Satan!
Dennis Zammit
Sep 9th 2010, 20:18
@ M Pisani
The name is either Vallette or La Vallette; both are correct. This is also confirmed in the official website of the Knights of Malta. Let's not change history. In St. John's Co Cathedral, he is referred to as Jean Parisot de La Vallette.
@ Virtu Group
Well done and congratulations for the 'Jean de la Vallette' and 'Maria Dolores'.
Both are marvellous catamarans.
Charles Sammut
Sep 9th 2010, 21:18
All your versions are mis-spelt. It is Valette with one 'l'.
Mario Calleja
Sep 10th 2010, 08:02
Charles the word is written correctly - we always wrote it that way and no other way is acceptable just like skont is not acceptable to mean according. If your interpretation is in another language, then it's ok. but La Vallette is correct even though I am no expert.
Richard Ellul
Sep 9th 2010, 19:18
I never went to Sicily on a catamaran. I will try to go on this one. It seems that its been built as if it was for the Grand Master himself. Beautiful isn't it?
Alfred Grech
Sep 9th 2010, 20:58
We've been on the Maria Dolores to Sicily and it was a beautiful experience. You feel you're on a plane but with more leg room and more space to walk around.
I'm sure that on the the La Vallette it will be a more pleasant ride.
Joe Fenech
Sep 9th 2010, 19:18
Nice one La Vallette!!! Had he been here he would have cut their heads off!
Jesmond Micallef
Sep 9th 2010, 20:08
Gory details from the Great Siege of Malta comes to mind here !!
Mario Spiteri
Sep 9th 2010, 19:14
Excellent work VIrtu' for an investment which will surely be of benefit to all stakeholders whilst at the same time retaining the high standards for which the company has built a reputation over all these years of operation. Congratulations!
Mario Caruana
Sep 9th 2010, 19:13
Capt. Jack Sparrow has finally found his match! :)
John Borg
Sep 9th 2010, 19:13
La Valette wins again!
A.J.Borg
Sep 9th 2010, 23:44
u f'Jum il-Vitorja bhall-Assedju :)
Charles Taliana
Sep 9th 2010, 19:10
Well done ! This beautiful vessel had gone through the proof of fire and emerged victorious.
A.Busuttil
Sep 9th 2010, 19:09
La Vallette rebah 500 sena, ilu se jaqta qalbu issa !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gerard Cassar
Sep 9th 2010, 19:02
It costs millions for sure.Money well invested by the virtu Ferries. An example to the Government.that is investing in unproductive projects such the Valletta projects Theatre and Parliament... just for prestige, it is said.
The catamaran is a prestigious investment that will be made use by thousands. Used not just looked at
A. Zahra
Sep 9th 2010, 23:51
had it been government investing in the ferry, you would have been true to form called it an unproductive prestige investment.
Jesmond Micallef
Sep 9th 2010, 19:01
What a lovely vessel. Not even a Fletcher speedboat powered by a 70 Hp outboard motor would reach 42 knots !! An amazing high speed vessel indeed. The manufacturer has really become a world leader with their catamaran designs. Very nice.
http://www.austal.com/index.cfm?objectid=B12E451D-65BF-EBC1-262F787ACDC7DACE
I'm very sure that Virtu Ferries are looking forward to the flagship of their fleet.
R. Azzopardi
Sep 10th 2010, 09:16
A 70bhp outboard on a fletcher speedboat is not exactly fast. A 300 bhp beast on a 20 footer would certainly be fast but not a 70.
This beauty churns out 40,000 horses!
David Vassallo
Sep 9th 2010, 18:52
Pirates and international communities must know that " WE ARE MALTESE WE TAKE NO SHIT"
A. Grech
Sep 10th 2010, 18:14
Well said Man.
Carm Ellul
Sep 9th 2010, 18:27
I hope the Navies trying to control these pirates have noted this.
If you can outrun them , you can run them down.
They should get a similiar one armed with light armament and chase these pirates into Davy Jones locker .
Marco Spiteri
Sep 9th 2010, 18:10
Hehe - Go La Valette almost 445 years after he scored his last greatest victory - Buon sangue non mente! hehe
Jon Savage
Sep 9th 2010, 18:08
Oh don,t you guys talk a load of crap !! Its only a ferry and whats beautiful about it. Now a real beautiful ship was the QE2 sadly left in Dubai. I was fortunate to sail on her last voyage
Justin Spiteri
Sep 9th 2010, 21:27
Very true... BUT, the QE2 would be named "Jack Sparrow 2" after being captured by the pirates with its lurking speed, while the "Ordinary" La Vallette just flies past leaving pirates no hope to touch it, unless it runs them over that is :).
Joseph Calleja
Sep 9th 2010, 17:54
Truly this is a magnificent vessel and I am sure it will serve Malta and the Maltese in a lot of convenient crossings between Malta and Italy, maybe more.
Anthony Borg
Sep 9th 2010, 17:49
Remove the threat completely!
If everyone knows about these pirates, why don't the worlds' navies send a warship there and blast these Somali pirates from out of the water!? Others might think twice before chasing unarmed seasmen. In the end, it would prove cheaper than paying ransom money to these criminals
Andrew Paris
Sep 9th 2010, 17:45
Question?
Why the heck would you sail it for delivery near Somalia when you know it would be a target for pirates? Take another route (even if it is longer)
lgalea
Sep 10th 2010, 00:02
Andrew Paris that means going round the world and increasing the distance to around 13,000 nautical miles.
Vince Vella
Sep 9th 2010, 17:44
Maybe they will begin to make the trip shorter. Cause last time we went with Virtu, it took 4hr and a half to arrive from Catania to Malta, and even from Malta to Catania it took nearly 4hrs. Maybe they are trying to get a cheaper ticket by saving fuel??
J.Grech
Sep 9th 2010, 17:37
nice running-in ;)
M Pisani
Sep 9th 2010, 17:22
the correct way of writing the grandmaster's name is Jean de Vallette. No "La".
All the same, welcome home mates.
Steve Cutajar
Sep 11th 2010, 10:18
@ M Pisani
Not so sure about that - Jean Parisot de LA Valette - with "LA" in it is his full correctly written name and surname.
Keep it up for all the Crew.. It's always so nice to read these articles! welcome home guys!
Paul Zammit
Sep 9th 2010, 17:21
was t captain's surname romegas? ;)
Daniel Gordon
Sep 9th 2010, 17:18
Im booked for a trip to Sicily at the beginning of next month.
I really hope to get on this ship. If I do, I will post some comments here for all to read.
I have already had one really good experience with customer services at Virtu Ferries- they changed my booking for no extra cost and within a matter of minutes. The help I received from Clyde Vassallo was top class. Thanks again Clyde.
Greetings to all.
r. cutajar
Sep 9th 2010, 17:14
please ;what engines and what power and torque at what revs in each case please ?? combined engineering at its best
Venancio Valenzuela
Sep 10th 2010, 05:44
the catamaran is powered by four MTU 20V 8000 M71L Diesel engines and four kamewa 1255SIII water jets.
Trevor Zahra
Sep 10th 2010, 08:49
If the engines that have been stated here are correct then they each deliver a total of 18.2Mw of power combined between the two engines which is a straggering amount of energy.
Matthew Portelli
Sep 10th 2010, 09:31
The main engines are 4 x MTU 20V 8000 Series developing 9,100 kW each @ 1,050 rpm
Capt Jack Sparrow
Sep 9th 2010, 17:11
HARRRRR!!!!
Alex Pulis
Sep 9th 2010, 16:49
Pirates should know better than to mess with Jean de la Valette. ;)
M Vella
Sep 9th 2010, 17:12
Good one Alex prosit :) :) :) LOL
Christine Bonello
Sep 9th 2010, 18:12
Very well said ! :)
lgalea
Sep 9th 2010, 18:13
Alex Pulis he'll make them walk the plank.
Richard Paul Agius
Sep 9th 2010, 18:16
la Valette, outsmarts the 'enemy'...once again !!!
:)
Jesmond Micallef
Sep 9th 2010, 18:47
Good one Alex, il furbani ma ghandhomx cans ma l' Gran Mastru, zgur mhux forsi :-))
D.Borg
Sep 9th 2010, 16:46
Wow!
Good news our compatriots are safe in the Mediterranean and heading back home!
Welcome back u l- kumplament tal- vjagg it- tajjeb!
PS what a beautiful vessel! ;)