PTA80 gathers crowds at Bonifacio harbor

Having weathered a few storms, the PTA80 and her crew were back to plain sailing, with two days of successful sea trials conducted in and around the Bonifacio harbor.

With the vessel making up for lost time on her journey from Propriano to Bonifacio, the crew saw their early arrival as the perfect opportunity to begin a preliminary round of sea trials.

A plain sea but strong winds made for excellent test-driving conditions, when the dynamic positioning system and docking capabilities of Volvo Penta IPS were really put to the test. Despite forceful gusts the joystick kept the boat in a precise position.

Those participating in the sea trials aboard the PTA80 included ferry drivers from the Bonifacio area. “During the high season, these drivers transport over 7,000 passengers a day,” says Volvo Penta product manager Andrea Piccione. “It’s really important that they have a system which is durable and reliable. Everyone was very impressed by the on-board comfort and quiet engine.”

Mr Pepe, responsible for Bonifacio’s commercial harbor, and Mr Mallori, responsible for the town’s leisure marina, were both in attendance during the second day of sea trials – along with the rest of Bonifacio!

“Many people from the town came to watch the PTA80 out on the water – with a narrow, crowded harbor, the precise maneuvering of the vessel was an impressive sight,” reported Andrea Piccione.

The Volvo Penta team

Some nice company on the trip

A school of Dolphins decided to join the Mediterranean Trip between Genova and Bonifacio.

See more updates from the PTA80 crew on instagram:

http://instagram.com/volvopentaipsmedtrip#

PTA80 is back on track

After an impromptu stopover in the southwestern Corsican port of Propriano yesterday, the PTA80 and her crew have been given the all-clear to continue 35 miles south to their destination of Bonifacio.

With winds stilling and the seas looking considerably calmer, the PTA80 and her crew are getting the Volvo Penta IPS Med trip back on track.

Although this emergency stop was a first on the vessel’s Mediterranean voyage, it was hardly a surprise. “We knew the PTA80 had the potential to run into difficulty when we planned this portion of the route,” says Volvo Penta product manager Andrea Piccione. With the southern waters of Corsica notorious for extreme sea conditions, Andrea and the other crew members allowed themselves an extra day, in anticipation of a possible squall.

“At Volvo Penta, it is really important that we are reliable for our customers,” he says. “By giving ourselves some extra latitude, we could ensure that – even with a disruption – we would be in Bonifacio on time ready for the sea trials and seminars.”

Back on track!

PTA80 forced to make emergency stopover

Despite the PTA80’s early departure from Genova this morning to avoid poor incoming weather, her efforts were in vain — and the vessel and her crew were forced to make an emergency stopover on the west coast of Corsica.

The crew of the PTA80 decided to make an unexpected stopover this afternoon, as conditions at sea put a halt to the boat’s journey to Bonifacio. A first-time occurrence on the Volvo Penta IPS Med Trip, the vessel and her crew resigned themselves to an emergency mooring at the western Corsican port of Propriano until weather in the southern region begins to calm.

With dangerously strong winds and waves almost five meters high, the coast guard deemed conditions too severe for the PTA80 to continue on her journey.

Volvo Penta product manager Andrea Piccione made assurances that the Volvo Penta IPS Med trip would attempt to continue on to Bonifacio in the morning. “We’ve been told conditions should improve around noon tomorrow, so until then, we’re going to stay safe in Propriano and wait for the storm to pass,” he says.

Sky-high spirits despite Genova’s wet weather

 After two days in Genova, the IPS Med trip continues on to its next destination. With turbulent seas and inclement weather, it’s been a rough stopover. Not necessarily a bad thing for the sea trials, however, when poor weather actually makes for a more comprehensive test drive.

Visitors seemed happy despite the bad weather

On 19^th and 20^th May, the PTA80 docked in Genova, Italy, for two days of sea trials and seminars. Once a historic maritime port, Genova’s Ponte dei Mille is today home to a technologically advanced cruise terminal which has been developed using ultra-modern and contemporary designs.

Equally cutting-edge is Volvo Penta’s own reason for visiting: the Volvo Penta IPS system is attracting a lot of attention during the company’s trip with the PTA80, and rightly so. With improved fuel economy, better maneuverability and lower overall operating costs, the Volvo Penta IPS is a cut above the rest when it comes to current inboard propulsion systems available on the market today.

Speaking about the Med trip, Andrea Piccione, product manager for Marine Commercial, noted: “Customers have been really impressed by the fact that Volvo Penta is bringing this experience to them in their home ports. I know that some people were a bit skeptical before the trial, but afterwards they were fascinated by the capabilities of Volvo Penta IPS.”

With stormy weather creating choppy waters, customers had the perfect opportunity to test out the advanced functions of Volvo Penta IPS. The joystick driving handled particularly well in tricky conditions, and customers came away impressed by the system’s agility.

With conditions set to only get worse, the crew of the PTA80 decided to make a dawn departure for Bonificio, Corsica, before the bad weather really set in. However the rain didn’t dampen spirits, and the Volvo Penta team left Genova excited about the way Volvo Penta IPS is continuing to impress as the PTA80 makes her way eastward.

End of a busy day

Greetings from the Spanish stopovers!

‘I can see clearly now, the rain has gone …’

As the rain clears and the weekend weather forecast brightens for Antibes, we reflect on the key benefits of the Volvo Penta IPS Med Trip. With invaluable customer contact and a clear view of how the tour is reaching out to prospective customers across Europe, the importance of the PTA80’s voyage is becoming ever clearer to members of the Volvo Penta executive management team, who visited the stopover, and customers alike.

Volvo Penta President Björn Ingemanson welcomes the visitors

The stopover in Antibes was a noteworthy one for the PTA80 on her journey around the Mediterranean; with the vessel moored in one of the town’s ports, it was high time for a visit from Volvo Penta executive management.

The senior managers arrived at the PTA80’s second French stopover to witness firsthand the ways in which the trip is helping Volvo Penta to fortify customer relations and build new alliances in Europe.

Volvo Penta’s Pascal Jamet, who led the seminar, noted that the event was unique in that it gives Volvo Penta a rare opportunity to reach out to prospective customers face to face — something other forms of marketing cannot accomplish. Customers appreciated the opportunity to see the vessel, try out the Volvo Penta IPS joystick system, and learn more about Volvo Penta.

The positive atmosphere and unique hands-on approach to building customer relationships made seminar attendees talkative and open to asking questions. At the seminars in Antibes, participants focused most of their questions on the potential fuel efficiency of Volvo Penta IPS.

The Volvo Penta executive team, most of whom were visiting a Volvo Penta IPS trip stopover for the first time, left Antibes feeling satisfied that the 38-day event is demonstrating how effective the Volvo Penta IPS system is for commercial applications.

“This European event is a unique opportunity for experienced maritime professions to experience the Volvo Penta IPS system, which is just as adaptable to commercial applications as it is to leisure boating,” Pascal noted. “I think today has also been an excellent way for Volvo Penta’s senior managers to see for themselves how valuable the vessel’s journey is for the company.”

Culture Capital welcomes Med trip

Marseille’s distinction as the European Culture Capital in 2013, along with its quick links to Corsica, Italy and Africa, makes it a hive of activity with a high turnover of visitors, many of whom arrive via cruise vessels. Such a busy atmosphere made Marseille the perfect third stopover on the 2014 Volvo Penta IPS Med trip.

With the PTA80 well-positioned in the main port, and a conference room close by, Volvo Penta France and Volvo Penta’s local dealer SMMI in Marseille helped host a successful two days of seminars and boat trials for important potential customers based in the region.

Visitors from marine safety authorities, French navy communications, tug boat, ferry boat and crew boat operators, representatives from various shipyards, and naval architecture companies turned out in Marseille to learn more about the Volvo Penta IPS system.

Altogether, 25 people were able to test the PTA80 in rough sea conditions outside the port of Marseille — though they were lucky enough to experience the test drive while in sight of the beautiful Iles du Frioul. The test drivers also had no problem crabbing, and thanks to the dynamic positioning function on the PTA80, the vessel kept steady and managed to retain her position, despite the strong wind.

For many, it was the first time experiencing the Volvo Penta IPS; sales project manager Gerard Törneman noted that ‘participants were very impressed by the well-balanced engine speed while the engine was in joystick mode, as well as the low levels of noise and vibration compared with other joystick systems.’ In addition Volvo Penta’s joystick system also offers high-speed steering, a function more efficient than that of its competitors.

In the strong winds just off the coast of Marseille, the PTA80 remained extremely stable and a delight to control; the ease of joystick driving meant that all test-drivers agreed that no steering wheel was needed.

One of the officials in attendance, French Naval Captain Frédéric Paillat, stated that the experience aboard the PTA80 was a ‘very friendly and rewarding one’, adding that he considered the Volvo Penta IPS system to be highly reliable.

In the evening, the Volvo Penta Center in Marseille hosted a lovely evening on a large catamaran boat equipped with D4 propulsion engines. The winds were gentle, and guests were able to enjoy a tour of Marseille’s large harbor, as always in a vessel safely powered by Volvo Penta.

The Volvo Penta Team

Changing of the guard

As the Volvo Penta IPS Med Trip launches into its two-day seminar in Marseille, it’s time to say goodbye to the old crew and welcome aboard the new.

The new captain Aniko Holm

It’s time for a new chapter of the Volvo Penta IPS Med Trip as Klas Karlsson and Anders Lundqvist, the captain and technician on the first leg, say their goodbyes and Aniko Holm comes aboard as captain with Arne Wettesten as crew. Both Aniko and Arne work at the Volvo Penta test center at Krossholmen in Sweden and have helped out on previous Volvo Penta IPS trips.

Aniko and Arne boarded the PTA80 yesterday, and Klas and Anders showed them the ropes. The new crew took over in time for the first of two days of seminars in Marseille. They will take the boat through seminars in Napoli on May 26 and 27.

As Klas departed, he looked back fondly on his time on the Volvo Penta IPS Med Trip. “Palma was my favorite destination,” he says. “I’ve been there many times, so I know a number of people who came out to the seminars there.”

Stay tuned to find out more about the Volvo Penta IPS Med Trip seminars in Marseille.

Thank you Klas and Anders!

Volvo Penta IPS proves popular in Barcelona

The Volvo Penta IPS Med Trip stopover in Barcelona turned out to be an eventful one, with nearly 100 guests showing up to learn more about the system — including some eager future marine engineers.

Volvo Penta IPS medtrip Stopover Barcelona staff  Jaime, Anders, Klas, Sonia, Juan, Espen are happy waving goodbye after hosting 90 people from harbour Tarragona, Marine authorities and many many more. And the PENTA80 has been docked in the luxury Port Vell of Barcelona with excellent support.

 

It was a busy two days at Marina Port Vell, Barcelona, with more than 90 visitors to the second Volvo Penta IPS Med Trip stopover on May 7 and 8. Those visitors included tourist catamaran fleet owners, marine authorities from Gibraltar, the captain of the maritime authorities in Barcelona, pilot boat operators from the Tarragona harbor and a delegation from the Spanish Coast Guard.

“These potential customers were very interested in what we had to say about the maneuverability, ease of stopping, fuel efficiency and low total cost of ownership of Volvo Penta IPS. And of course they had a chance to try out the PTA80 themselves and see how easy it is to drive,” says Espen Gundersen, the Volvo Penta dealer development manager who led the Barcelona seminars. “We are prospecting with some of these boat builders for repowering projects — as well as new equipment. They were very interested in the Volvo Penta IPS solution, and they indicated they’d like us to be there with them from the beginning of these new projects.”

On the second day of the stopover, a group of 20 marine engineering students from Barcelona University came to the seminar and sea trials. “These students are the future of boat design and maintenance — and engine installation,” Espen says. “It’s important that we introduce them to Volvo Penta IPS early in their careers.”

A former president of the Barcelona Boat Show also made an appearance, and members of the Spanish trade press were treated to a special informational session of their own.

“I personally want to thank all of the Spanish MedTrip Team, who have done a great job to make this event a success,” Espen says. “This also includes the crew from Krosshomen, Klas Karlsson and Anders Lundqvist. I’m convinced that this will lead to future growth in the Marine Commercial business in Spain.”

After a full two days, the PTA80 departed Barcelona and arrived in Marseille, France, this afternoon, just in time for the weekend. Volvo Penta IPS seminars will resume on Monday and Tuesday next week.