Our pick of the year ? a dozen of the best

One of the more rewarding aspects of our work here at The Motor Ship is writing about ships, particularly those that incorporate innovative or unique features and state-of-the-art equipment. With hundreds of ships delivered over the course of the year ranging from the mundane to the sophisticated, it is not an easy task to choose just a handful. However, we have managed to select a dozen examples of those we consider worthy of being included in our ?hit? list of notable ships delivered during 2003.

There were a number of trends in the industry during 2003 which stand out. One of the main ones is the continuing drive towards ships with bigger carrying capacities leading to economies of scale. Greater functional flexibility is also a factor as ship owners seek not only to optimise scantlings but also maximise returns on their investment by designing and building multi-purpose ships.

Passenger carrying ships once again feature prominently with the Queen Mary 2 grabbing the headlines as the most luxurious commercial ship ever to sail the seven seas. At the other end of the scale we have the diminutive Shetland Isles RoRo vessel Filla, the small UK-built Calmac ferry Coruisk and, in between, the cruise ship Seven Seas Voyager. The latter is the first ship to be fitted with the Dolphin pod propulsors.

Two ferries are featured, one being Tor Magnolia designed and built by Flensburger and the lead-ship in a quintet ordered by DFDS. The second is the rail ferry Yue Hai Tie I Hao, the first of its kind to be built in China. China also features in the Dunkirkmax bulk carrier CSK Fortune, which is the first newbuilding to emerge from the new Shanghai shipyard of Waigaoqiao.

China?s progress in the world maritime market has accelerated rapidly in the last decade and is set to be the biggest single influence in the shipping industry over the next ten years. The country is on course to create substantial increases in shipping demand, arising from its own trading needs, and become a major force in shipbuilding and ship repair. Already occupying the number

three spot in the world?s shipbuilding league, China is on course to become the dominant force in this market. Of particular concern to its competitors is the fact that quality and on-time deliveries are no

longer an issue and ship owners world-wide are much more confident in ordering from Chinese yards.

An important redesign to the pure car truck carrier ship type was delivered to the Japanese shipping company MOL in the shape of Courageous Ace. This vessel incorporates a number of interesting aerodynamic design features making it more economical and environmentally friendly.

Norwegian yards are prominent in this selection with Viking Energy, G.O.Sars and Xanthia. The platform supply vessel Viking Energy is the world?s first gas driven cargo ship while the G.O.Sars is a state-of-the-art multi-purpose research vessel with a very low noise signal. Xanthia is a short-sea products and chemical carrier and represents the latest design in this ship type.

The final ship in this review

is the trailing suction hopper dredger Filippo Brunelleschi which employs a wide array of the latest technology.

As ever, much of the

information needed to compile the ship description articles was made available by courtesy of the co-operation of shipbuilders, engine builders, designers and owners. We thank them for their time and help.