Approach for the Design of Specialized Ships: The Case of Cargo Transport to an Ocean Island

Abstract

The island of Fernando de Noronha (FN) is a marine protected area, located about 293 nautical miles from Recife, Brazil. Supplies are transported out by improvised boats and the main freight contractor, the Administration of FN (AFN) spends large sums with outsourced shipping services, some of which could be redirected to problems of major concern such as health, environment and education. Using a sequence of five steps, including the construction of a database, mathematical simulation and economic feasibility analysis, it was possible to develop a preliminary design for a specialized economically viable vessel, which meets the requirement, draught limitations and needs of the island of FN. It is shown that the approach is feasible through the construction of a mathematical optimization model and a design of a vessel of about 450 tons of displacement that allows cost savings to AFN of around US$ 1.76M per year.