The bow is
protected by a new style of tyres
The main winch – note the placement of the hook to meet the Aussie rules
managed in tough times.
After the two successful new 32m ship assist tugs to Western Australia, the 15m towboat PT May, bound for Brisbane, is an equal success. We were fortunate to catch up with her during her sea trials under the command of Lance Brown, senior master for Thompson Towing in Auckland, who was contracted to trial and prepare the vessel for delivery.
This is the first small tug of this type to be built in New Zealand for some time now, as our own ports or workboat operators cool their heels waiting for a lift in the marine economy. Although she has a normal designed manning level of two, the tug has accommodation for four to provide flexibility for coastal and long-haul tow work, where watchkeeping becomes a key factor.
That is if you could call her small. At nearly 16m overall, including the fenders, 7m beam and drawing 2.7m aft, she takes up a fair hunk of water space and makes sure she has a good grip on it as well. Designed for Pacific Tug Australia, this tug incorporates a heap of new features not normally seen in traditional towboats, with many of the innovative changes leading the way in new tug and towboat development in this part of the South Pacific. Her twin Cummins KTA 19–M3, rated 447kW (600bhp) each at 1800rpm, are air-started and keel-cooled. They drive through detached model W 1800 ZF 6.16:1 island-mounted gearboxes. These are connected to the engines via a Centa CX-55-LFS2 input coupling.
Another significant difference is that the propeller shafts
WORKBOAT - TUG - WINCH BUILDERS WORKBOAT - TUG - WINCH BUILDERS
PO Box 24 Whangarei New Zealand 0140 PH: +64 9 438 2219, FAX: +64 9 438 7845 www.shipco.co.nz shipco.kelvin@xtra.co.nz
SHIPCO SHIPCO September/October 2011 Professional Skipper 7
VIPS8P.S8
83
