Here are previous cargoes posts, but today I could have called this fog as well. But what is it . . . a happy marina?
Oh . . . Hornblower Hybrid , a misnomer, and Amarula Sun, a sport fish . . .
It’s a Big Lift vessel with a marina load on its deck.
I wonder she’s headed after the Panama Canal?
In the Big Lift fleet, I’ve seen H Rover, H Buccaneer, H River . . . and more . . .
Happy Dynamic has been here before. I wonder where this cargo is headed . . . as final destination.
All photos this foggy morning by Will Van Dorp, whose previous “marinas on deck” posts include Flinterborg and Flinterduin.Rod Smith helped out with Traveller carrying Half Moon across the Atlantic. And let’s not forget Peking’s ride.
About Hornblower Hybrid, which arrived in the sixth boro in 2011 . . . what percentage of its power did it ever get from solar, wind, and hydrogen?
tugster: a waterblog 
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January 4, 2020 at 12:43 pm
Les Sonnenmark
“Misnomer”? It sounds like you’re poo-poo-ing the hybrid nature of HORNBLOWER HYBRID. The fraction of power derived from sources other than the diesel engines is not the key factor–it’s the energy consumed by the vessel, the fuel used, and the emissions produced (or prevented). Think of it like your Prius. When accelerating and when going at high speed, it needs a lot of power, which is supplied by the engine and the battery combined; that’s a lot of energy consumed and fuel used for a short period. But at lower speed, and at constant high speed, much less power is needed. In all cases, the engine is running at its most efficient, cleanest level. (This is due to the constantly-variable transmission in the Prius, and the pure electric drive of the HORNBLOWER HYBRID.) When the HORNBLOWER HYBRID is carrying passengers for a cruise through the Sixth Boro, she’s going slowly for the majority of the time, and much of her time is pierside. (She has to have the ability to produce full power for safety reasons, docking maneuvers, etc.) So the daily average power contribution from the alternative power sources is much higher than their nominal ratings.
January 4, 2020 at 12:51 pm
tugster
I appreciate the comment, Les. I guess I should have put a ?? after the word “misnomer” since I’ve never understood the “hybrid” nature of the boat. Was hydrogen fuel cell ever used? Also, I never saw the wind turbines on the upper deck move. Does it have a storage battery of the Prius sort?
January 4, 2020 at 1:15 pm
Les Sonnenmark
She’s actually set up more like the Chevy Volt, with purely electric propulsion provided by stored battery power, and augmented by a pair of diesel generators,. The main electric power system (battery, generators, power conversion units, and electric propulsion motors) run at 700 Vdc. I don’t have specific information on the battery storage capacity, rating of the alternative power sources, or rating of the diesel generators. The two electric propulsion motors are rated at 700 hp each; if that’s a continuous rating, then I’d suppose the diesel generators would have a continuous rating of that plus a minimum “hotel” load (for navigation, communication, lighting, etc.). I wonder if Hornblower could provide more details, including energy use.
January 4, 2020 at 1:40 pm
Les Sonnenmark
Regarding the question about hydrogen fuel use, I don’t know if hydrogen fuel is available in the Sixth Boro, nor what it would cost. The vessel was built nearly a decade ago; the owners took a long-term gamble on relative prices and availability of fuel types, which have varied a lot in the intervening years. Right now, diesel fuel is pretty cheap, so fuel economy is less of a priority than it was just a few years ago. I see this in my work with naval and commercial marine power systems–a few years ago, when fuel prices were skyrocketing, there was a lot of interest in fuel economy; much less so now. The current emphasis on hybrid vessels and alternative fuels is due to stricter emissions standards for in-port and near-shore operations.
January 4, 2020 at 2:15 pm
Domenic Rizzo
How is this foreign flagged ship getting around the JONES ACT? I read in a blog that HORNBLOWER HYBRID was built in 🇺🇸. It is being loaded in PORT NEWARK, NJ. It’ is allegedly going back to San Francisco. The JONES ACT is supposed to prevent this from happening. ???
January 5, 2020 at 9:28 am
Sean M McQuilken
A foreign flagged vessel is allowed to stop in multiple US ports as long as she doesn’t unload cargo loaded in one US Port at another US Port. She is probably stopping in San Francisco to unload cargo loaded foreign and will be loading additional export cargo there.