Recently, we witnessed an incredible story about a major problem faced by our largest shipping company, Jadrolinija, which was resolved by our company where the initial propeller was optimized. We faced the challenging task of measuring and adjusting a large CPP (controllable pitch propeller) responsible for powering Jadrolinija's flagship, the ferry Korčula. And as great as the challenge was, the triumph was even greater!
Jadrolinija purchased the motor ferry from a Greek shipping company. The ship had been launched barely a year earlier in the Greek shipyard Perama. It is a large and comfortable ship, 101 meters long, 17.3 meters wide, with a draft of 3.5 meters. It is powered by two Wartsila engines, each producing 2,700 kilowatts, enough to light up one of our smaller towns! The capacity of Korčula, befitting the flagship of a company, is truly impressive. It can accommodate 700 passengers and 170 vehicles, and thanks to the garage height of 4.7 meters, even oversized cargo can be loaded! Even the speed of 16 knots is more than sufficient for the relatively short distances between the mainland and our islands. However, very soon, problems emerged precisely at higher speeds. As soon as the ship approached speeds over 12 knots, very unpleasant vibrations began to occur.