The only specialised marine publication in Oceania that focuses on the maritime industry, from super yachts to small craft to large commercial ships, including coastal shipping, tugs, tow boats, barges, ferries, tourist, sport-fishing craft, je
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engines could be used, thus two cylinders were dropped. A pair of Wartsila 6L26s producing 2049kW, coupled to two Voith 28/R5/234 AE45 propulsion units, was selected. Strategic Marine of Western Australia built the Te Mata at its shipyard in Vietnam. The team's decision not to choose a turnkey build from a known New Zealand yard and go offshore was based on build quality, price and flexibility in design and construction. The design combines a lot of ideas from existing and past vessels and the port's pilots, tug masters and engineers all provided constructive input. Some of the traditional bluffness has been removed and she has a slightly more refined bow shape than usual. The deck structure and wheelhouse is also a combination of international and local ideas. The Port of Napier essentially owns the design and Engineroom to starboard The cable winch is down below plans. An agreement of intent was signed once the yard was identified as being in Asia and, given the nature of the project, that its build would be a joint venture between Strategic Marine and the port, as it was important to have the principles clear from start to finish. Paul Hines was appointed project manager, with responsibility to ensure the project went smoothly and delivered what the port wanted and had specified. The project began in December 2008 when the steel was purchased while it was still relatively cheap. This was cut in May 2009 with construction starting shortly after. Timing and commercial competitiveness when purchasing key components like engines, gensets and other machinery, including winches, all helped to keep the budget on track. The hull is plated in a range from 18mm to 25mm thick The engines are installed start to escalate from that point on, to the stage where service costs rise and efficiency drops. The new tug had to be under 24m long, similar to the Ahuriri, to ensure crews maintain familiarity of size when operating either vessel. Now the port has the Te Mata, said to be the most technologically advanced Voith water tractor in the world to date, As we watched her master, Chace Rodda, operate the Te Mata, it was easy to see how quickly man became a part of machine as the two became one. Lowering the bollard pull requirement to 60 tonnes meant smaller For all aluminium vessels to 30m. Ph 09 438 9522 • Email peter@circamarine.co.nz 245 Lower Port Road, Whangarei 70 NZ WORKBOAT REVIEW 2012 steel, with 10mm enclosed bulwarks. The void inside the bulwarks has been painted and sealed to give clean lines around the deck and eliminate a sailor's painting nightmare. As with all of these types of tugs, the machinery had to go in before the Te Mata was closed in, which meant some serious bits were installed while the rest was still being built. These same bits had to look brand new some 12 or so months later when she was commissioned after the rest of the main machinery space had been fitted out and the topsides locked on. It was not a case of cutting a hole through the side, because tankage and other machinery tends to lock things in. This is one of the key reasons why owners and engine manufacturers must look carefully at the power plants when building. To get a "Friday-itis" engine would be a major, so the pressure was on to ensure everything was right. Our first impression as we step aboard Te Mata is that at 24m long she is some ship, especially when her beam is the thick end of 11m. She is easy to walk around, even with her imposing deckhouse, with clear waists on either side. The anchor winch is missing from the foredeck, as the cable rides over the ship's head and roller lead to a standing structure, with another roller and safety retaining claw before it disappears down the (spurling) naval pipe. At this point the cable and pipe is sealed with expanding foam, and we make a note to investigate this further. The deck space aft is dominated by a large EMS HTW-SD-30 180 tonne winch loaded with a plaited Samson 64mm Neutron 8 towline with a breaking strain of 220 tonnes. VIP.WB12