Posts Tagged “Technology Series”
The AmaMagna is the largest by far of the European river cruise boats, with a beam of 71 ft (21 m) and a length of 443 ft (135 m). Most other ships are limited to the European river lock maximum dimensions of 38 ft (11.5 m) wide and 410 feet (124 m). At twice the…
It’s getting increasingly difficult for the general public to see the details behind large commercial ships and even harder to tour chemical and oil tankers. Partly the crews are busy at work and partly there are safety and security concerns, but the net result is limited ability to see the details behind how these advanced…
In the 27th edition of our Technology Series, we visit the Scania manufacturing plant at Sodertalje, Sweden near Stockholm. Scania is famous for producing modular engines with excellent fuel economy and power-to-weigh ratios. We’ve seen their beautiful trucks and buses throughout Europe, and they have a particularly loyal and happy customers base. We’ve stopped to…
In the 26th edition of our Technology Series, we visit the Maritime Safety Center in Aland to see their facility and to learn more about the STCW (the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping) courses they offer. The Maritime Safety Center offers the wide variety of courses required by professional mariners to…
On the way to our berth at Harlingen in The Netherlands, we passed Britt, a 58-ft Artnautica. The boat shares some design features with the Dashews’ FPB (FPB 781 Cochise), the most notable being it’s fairly narrow for the length and features an unfinished aluminum exterior. Not long after arriving, we met Rob Westermann who…
We bought a four-day package for the Daytona 500 that included the Can-Am Duel on Thursday night, the NASCAR truck race on Friday night, the Xfinity Series race on Saturday and of course, the Daytona 500 on Sunday. We had great time watching the races, and being at the Daytona 500 was super-exciting. But a…
We’d come to Daytona primarily to attend the Daytona 500, but that’s not the only major racing event in the area in February. Nearby Volusia Motor Speedway was hosting the season opener for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car racing, “The Greatest Show on Dirt!”. The last dirt track racing we saw was in August…
We are interested in all ocean-going power boats, but right near the top of the pack is the FPB series from Steve and Linda Dashew. We’ve seen many FPBs over the years as we completed our around-the-world run and the first things that jumps out is they are unfinished aluminum. When we were in New Zealand…
In this 21st edition of the Dirona Technology Series, we get an opportunity to explore the CS Responder, a trans-ocean cable-laying ship operated by TE SubCom. TE Connectivity is $13.3B global technology company that specializes in communication cable, connectors, sensors, and electronic components. Their subsidiary TE SubCom manufactures, lays and maintains undersea cable. TE SubCom has a base in Baltimore…
Long time readers of mvdirona.com know we love technology. In our around-the-world adventure, we have toured mines, ice breakers, cruise ships, mining truck manufacturers, and even spent time at the helm of a 5,000 hp ship-assist tug. The common thread of each of these adventures are companies applying leading-edge technology to deliver a great product…
The Portsmouth Navy Yard, established in 1800, has a long shipbuilding tradition. The shipyard began building submarines during World War I, including the L-8, the first built by a US Navy yard. The yard produced seventy submarines during World War II, launching a record four in one day, and in the 1950s and 1960s built…
While we were in Lunenberg, Nova Scotia, the crew of a 134-ft scalloper in port for maintenance work gave us a tour of their factory ship. (We were asked not to include boat, crew and company names.) The ship was built in 1997, but is well-maintained and is equipped with the latest scallop auto-shucking equipment….
The Deer Island Treatment Plant is the second largest sewage treatment plant in the country, treating 350 million gallons per day with a peak capacity of 1,310 million gallons per day. The $3.8-billion plant is the centerpiece in the successful Boston Harbor cleanup effort. The plant’s unusual egg-shaped digesters are distinctive landmarks on entering Boston…
Last Thursday Jennifer and I were down on Las Olas Blvd in Fort Lauderdale having an enjoyable patio dinner when my phone rang. “James, this is Suzanne Speight, Public Affairs Specialist with Navy Region Southeast. I have one position available to embark on the the USS California.” That sounded pretty good. I’ve never been on…
This weekend we attended Fleet Week Port Everglades as a guest of Mike Chan, Protocol Officer with Navy Region Southeast, who was organizing the event. We arrived shortly before the Legion of Honor Ceremony on board the USS Bataan, where the Consulate General of France, Philippe Létrilliart, awarded nine American veterans with the Legion of…
Jeanerette, Louisiana isn’t a massive metropolis, so why were us boaters and technology lovers excited to spend a day there? Admittedly the oysters, crawfish, and local beer are all excellent, but that wasn’t the motivation behind the trip. The reason was to visit Metal Shark Aluminum Boats. If you have ever been just a bit…
What beats an afternoon operating heavy equipment? Months before we made it to Florida, Oliver Sessa offered us a day at Johnny Sessa Bulldozing with an open invitation to give some of their larger equipment a whirl. James has been looking forward to it since. Within a week of our arriving in Florida, Oliver emailed…
We love technology, how things work, and digging in behind the scenes and so an important part of our trip around the world in a small boat has included stops to tour ice breakers, mines, manufacturing plants, container ships. We even tried our hands at the helm of a 5,000 HP tractor tug. Some highlights…