Tug adds to port's PROFILE
Of all of New Zealand's ports,
Napier is probably unique in that their tugs are required to hook on outside the
breakwater in what is essentially open coastal waters, and generally on the side of an
approaching vessel exposed to the prevailing open seas and swells.
T Tug master Chace Rodda at the controls 68 NZ WORKBOAT REVIEW 2012
he port's tug, the Ahuriri, was a vital part of the port's redevelopment programme. Delivered in 2002, she was the first compact sub-24m Voith water tractor capable of over 70 tonnes of bol-
lard pull, but this massive grunt was only rarely required. This was taken into consideration when the port's execu- tive went scoping for a replacement tug. The port operates 24-7 and offers a full range of
worldwide shipping services, including a number of weekly container services. It has all the essential facilities required to handle all forms of shipping and services over 600 vessels per year, including over 40 cruise ships with 22,000 passengers. The container terminal handles 180,000 containers, plus all types of cargo, with an emphasis on refrigerated products. The demands on the Port of Napier continue to grow, as does the size of the ships. It was originally designed to handle ships of up to about 200m overall length and it is now not uncommon to have to turn and berth vessels up to 294m in a 360m gap. Now that's getting a bit tight, especially if a ship is already on one of the basin berths and the distance is reduced to say, 328m. The MARIMATECH electronic positioning system
for precision pilotage monitoring, coupled to an OMC dynamic under-keel clearance system accurate to within centimetres, ensure tug masters and pilots have the confidence to demonstrate to ships' masters that all is well. They can watch the ship's profile within the port on the
