Aerial picture of Ultramarine in the water after its launch from slipway in Split,Croatia
Quark Expeditions, Seattle, Wash., today noted a significant landmark in the building of its technologically-advanced polar vessel, Ultramarine, with a conventional launch event that additionally recognized the shipbuilding group at Croatia’s Brodosplit shipyard.
The 125 meter long, 199 traveler exploration cruise liner is being constructed to a style by Sembcorp Marine’s Bergen, Norway, headquartered subsidiary LMG Marin.
Tomislav Debeljak, proprietor and also Chief Executive Officer of the DIV Group, that includes Brodosplit, the biggest shipyard in Croatia, was signed up with by shipyard godmother Andrea Mutak (from the Split- based kids’s charity Udruga Andeli–Association of Angels), very important people and also Brodosplit staff members as Ultramarine went into the water for the really very first time.
“Today’s launch ceremony is a time-honored shipyard tradition,” claimed Andrew White, head of state,Quark Expeditions “That very moment when ‘ship first meets water’ is a major milestone for any vessel. The sound of Ultramarine’s hull entering the water from slipway No. 2 into Supaval Bay signified we’re one step closer to exploring the polar regions on this game-changing ship. But, of course, it’s not just any ship that we’re celebrating today—but a ship built specifically for polar exploration. Ultramarine will be an unrivaled operational base for exploring the polar regions in ways never thought possible.”
“While the star of today is Ultramarine, the ceremony also honors a cast of people without whom this vessel would never exist: the Brodosplit shipyard team,” claimsWhite “Following a tradition that goes back to earlier times, a shipyard godmother—different from the godmother who eventually christens the ship—is chosen for this ‘working launch.’ Traditionally, this godmother has an affiliation with the shipyard community, which is important to us because today’s launch is our way of celebrating the community of engineers, naval architects, welders, structural fabricators, riggers, electricians and all of the other shipyard crew who had a hand in the launch of this expedition vessel–which will change the way we explore the Polar Regions.”
“The launch of any ship is complex and once underway, uncontrolled until the vessel is attached to tugs standing by,” claims Malcolm Ellis, Senior Vice-President, Operations forQuark Expeditions “The total time involved from trigger release until the vessel is stopped in the water is little more than a minute or two. Yet, the potential for damage in that time period is greater than at any time during the ship’s many years of service. The stress placed on a vessel during launch is probably the highest it will experience in its lifetime. No rehearsal is possible.”
Ultramarine will certainly lug 2 twin-engine helicopters, 20 quick-launching Zodiacs, and also what Quark Expeditions calls “the most robust portfolio of off-ship adventure options in the entire industry.”
