Finland’s Wärtsilä has signed a licensing and cooperation agreement with Japan’s Kuribayashi Steamship Company enabling it to integrate Kuribayashi’s patented gate rudders into new propulsion product designs. Unlike the conventional placement of a rudder in the propeller slipstream area the gate rudder is a twin-bladed arrangement that fits around the propeller. This positioning is said to increase fuel efficiency, improve maneuverability and enhance course-keeping stability in both calm and rough seas.
According to Wärtsilä the new design is now an integral part of its propulsion offerings for newbuildings and can also be retrofitted to existing vessels that are equipped with conventional propellers.
