World’s First X-Bow Cruise Ship To Set Off For First Antarctic Expedition
World’s First X-Bow Cruise Ship To Set Off For First Antarctic Expedition
Greg Mortimer is the first X-BOW cruise vessel that will set off on the Antarctica expedition and will cross the Drake Passage on November 1.
The slamming in the head seas feature is reduced in the X-BOW which was proven when it entered the 10m high waves and strong waves in the voyage from China to Argentina.
The ship was developed in four continents. SunStone Ships being a US-based Shipowner. Aurora Expedition, the travel operators is Australian, the ship was designed in Norway and the shipyard being in China. The White Continent will now be explored by it.
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The onboard comfort in head seas is improved by the ‘Greg Mortimer’s characteristic X-BOW® design. It allows the ship to maintain its speed even in adverse weather conditions so that it can pass through the harsh stretches quickly, especially the Drake Passage.
‘In big seas, I kept waiting for the slamming – it never came’
On her first from the CMHI construction yard in China to Ushuaia, Argentina, the ship faced a very bad weather condition after leaving Cape Town. The Captain said that the waves were 8-10 meters, with some waves reaching above deck 5, and strong winds. A high of about 12-13 knots which is 1 knot less than the usual was maintained by the ship.
“It’s a totally different experience! In big seas, I kept waiting for the slamming, but it never came. You don’t feel the sea, you have to relearn how to interpret the vessel behavior. Other ships can only keep half the speed,” says Captain Ulf-Peter Lindstrøm. He has been working in international shipping for about 40 years, the last 20 years as Master.
“Being an offshore specialist means that the vessels we design must be robust and handle very tough weather in some of the world’s harshest ocean areas. When Ulstein turned to the cruise industry, the cruise ship owners immediately saw the potential. The ‘Greg Mortimer’ is the first cruise vessel with the X-BOW® feature, but there are now several others under construction in China and Norway,” says Tore Ulstein, deputy CEO and COO Design & Solutions at Ulstein Group.
Reference: ulstein
