# Aurora Australis



## Jan Hendrik

Australia's only ice breaker. Sails to the Antarctics and is basically stationed in Hobart, Tasmania.
Owned and operated by P and O Polar Pty Ltd (P and O Australia) on behalf of the Australian Antarctic Division..

Hereby some photos which were taken during her launch at Carrington Slipways Newcastle.

Please note all photos are under copyright   

I have lots of photos which were taken during the construction and also subsequent drydockings and will post some in due course as time permits.

Vessel was delivered to the Antarctic Division on 30th March 1990.
Constructed by Carrington Slipways, Newcastle (Australia).
GRT 6574 DWT: 3911 length 95 metres.

"no antifouling required on this vessel"
tell me why??

Jan


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## Doug Rogers

Great photographs, always very spectacular a sideways launch....look forward to the next ones when you have the chance.
Doug


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## Jan Hendrik

Doug R.
Sideways is much more spectacular than lengthwise and when you go to "www.bodewes" which is a shipyard in Groningen, The Netherlands, here you will find some pictures and especially videos of side launching.
Those 10 -15 second videos are very spectacular.
Try , otherwise let me know if you cannot find it.

Launching always is a very special day for the people who live nearby and the shipyards used to invite the locals for a raw herring and a genever (Dutch gin) 

Jan


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## Jan Hendrik

*prize to win "Aurora Australis"*

This 95 metre vessel used a lot of paints during her construction in 1990.

I hereby invite all readers of SN to tell me *how much paints * (including shopprimer), *in LITRES * , have been used to paint this vessel during its newbuilding stage.
The winner will get a small present from the paint company which supplied the paints, no matter where you live.
The one who guesses closest to the quantity consumed will get the prize......

This must be a first on SN?????

Deadline: 31st March and I will announce the winner on 1st April (no joke....)

Put your entries on this forum, then you can all see each others "estimate"


Good luck,
Jan


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## Doug Rogers

Well put me down for the Genever but you can have my herrings, I prefer mine kippered. I am thinking about the paint on the Aurora Australis but what am I going to do with anti fouling paint if I win, my vessel doesnt use it!!.


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## Jan Hendrik

The prize won't be a can or drum of paint.
You may like it though....it is going to be a very "maritime" thing.
So put your thoughts about the litreage forward.


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## julian anstis

Having never seen a launch can someone explain to me how they get her to slip sideways for the launch please. Winches..?

Put me down for 17,400ltrs


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## Doug Rogers

Sorry Jan I was of course joking!!, but now a maritime thing could be good, as long as its not Ron of course!!, oops there I go again. 
I am casting my vote at 26,800 litres.


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## michael james

Jan this is for all paint used during build not just antifouling? Stab in the dark 42,000 ltrs. You had me thinking of wetted surface area calculations - somewhere in the attic ?


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## flyer682

A totally un-informed guestimate of 30,000 litres.


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## Jan Hendrik

*paint consumption*

Glad to see the "estimates" are coming in, this vessel does not use Antifouling, please read separate note about this.

And Julian, a sidelaunch usually takes place in rivers/canals where the shipyard is located and go to : www.bodewesshipyards , which site will show you some sideway launches on photos and video (you need broadband for the latter), or go to:http://www.conoship.com/uk/company/yard4.htm

You find some spectacular photos/video.

They build the hull on the slipway and put her "straight" on the blocks in such a way that some hours before the launch with big hammers they start hammering away the major blocks and just when the bottle of champagne is thrown against the hull, they swiftly remove the last 4 - 6 smaller blocks and off she goes..... you can see a bit of this on the pictures and video presentations.
It is always a big feast with the local community when this happens and it is very advisable you do not position yourself straight across the other side of the canal.
Jan


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## flyer682

> and it is very advisable you do not position yourself straight across the other side of the canal.


I wonder why.......... P)


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## Jan Hendrik

Hereby another bonus picture, vessel is berthed in Hobart just after one of those magnificent paintjobs took place following one of her 2-3 yearly drydockings.

Be aware the paint consumption I refer to only covers the actual total consumption of paints used during the construction at Carrington Slipways, so any subsequent paintwork after commissioning is to be excluded of course.

This photo, like all photos are copyright by jdejonge.

Jan

this ice breaker does not use antifouling


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## stevecz

Based on the amount of paint used on my 36 footer??????, 13680 litres. I bet Jan did'nt use a brush like I did!


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## Doug H

My guess - and it IS one - 15,472 litres. Doug H


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## Jan Hendrik

I am a bit disappointed as only 6 shiplovers have sofar given an estimate of the litreage of paints used during the new construction of this vessel.

One week to go and the prize is a very "nautical" and very "exclusive" gift.

There is definitely going to be a winner.....

Hereby another few pics from the newbuilding stage back in 1989 at Carrington Slipways Newcastle.

All photos are copyright by jdejonge

Good luck
Jan


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## Bob S

I've no idea but I'll have a go. 42500 litres.


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## Jan Hendrik

*paint consumption Aurora Australis*

The deadline of 31st March has passed. 

The total paint consumption on the "Aurora Australis"  during the construction in Newcastle, NSW was 75,000 litres.

When you observe e.g. a container vessel or a bulkcarrier then all visible parts are the topsides, decks, superstructure incl all upper decks, winches, cargo covers and coamings, bulwarks etc., this being ONLY 5 to max 7 percent of the total consumption of paints a vessel uses during her construction.
For this reason most of you have grossly underestimated the litreage used.

Most paints are used in areas which cannot be observed i.e. double bottom tanks, ballast tanks, cofferdams, all areas behind linings, especially T- frames, stiffeners etc, all those take up massive number of square metres.
Then further remember , all steel (any piece steel) has two sides which in itself automatically doubles the consumption.

Bob S. was closest with "only" 42,500 litres, so Bob please send me your mailing address per personal mail and I will get the "nautical" gift out to you.

75,000 litres of paint thus also adds approx 75 tonnes of weight to the vessel.

The largest double hull vlcc's in the world today are the Hellespont vessels built at Daewoo in 2003/4 and such ships take one million litres of paints each!! A large modern cruiseship takes about half of that.
I will post a picture in a separate forum.

Did you say you were in the wrong business? Think about this: There is an 80-20 rule in this industry which means that surface preparation and application of the paints takes up 80 percent of the costs and the cost of the paint itself is 20 percent (rule of thumb).

The protective coating systems on a newbuilding is usually around 3-5 percent of the total cost of the vessel.
Some of above info may surprise you.
Jan


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## Bob S

Well, what can I say. It wasn't worth picking a number in the middle, took a chance that everyone had under estimated.
I'm intriged so address forwarded in PM.
What on earth will I do with a can of paint though?


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## Jan Hendrik

Bob, we are not sending you a can of paint of course, although I can ask our U.K. company (located in Wales) to send you just that........

It will be something "postmaster friendly" and you will like it.
Will post it by airmail Monday, allow one week or so.
Jan


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## Jan Hendrik

*aurora australis*

The vessel is currently drydocking in Brisbane, consumption below waterline only approx 2500 litres and in topsides a further 1000 li max.
Will post some photos after completion.
This vessel normally docks every 2 years, however, she got an extra year reprieve this time because of the good condition below water.


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