East Isle Shipyard in Prince Edward Island , Canada, a division of Irving Shipbuilding Inc., has delivered the first of four tugs to Nordane Shipping, Svendborg, Denmark on the 8th of September 2009. Present at the christening from the owner's side were Niels Hansen and Flemming Hansen along with their wive’s. The new Ice Class Tug was christened by the wife of the President of Irving Shipbuilding, Inc., Karen Durrell, her husband Steve Durrell hosted the event. The tug, Stevns Icequeen had undergone sea trials and was accepted by the owner as meeting all of the specification requirements.
After delivery, the tug transited the Atlantic Ocean to Denmark to begin work for the owner. Upon arrival at its home port, Esbjerg, it was dispatched almost immediately to assist a Danish vessel in distress due to heavy weather that had lost steering power and evacuated most of the crew. The Stevns Icequeen took the vessel in tow and delivered it safely to the Port of Fredericia Skibsvaerft.
Measuring 101 ft by 36.5 ft by 12.7 ft draft, two of the LRclassed tugs are Ice Class 1A powered by a pair of Caterpillar 3516BHD diesels, developing 2,500hp each at 1,600 rpm and the other two will be non-Ice Class powered by Caterpillar 3516BHD diesels developing 2682hp at 1600 RPM. Rolls-Royce Aquamaster Z drives with controllable pitch propellers of 2.4m diameter are installed on the Ice Class tugs while the non-Ice Class tugs will be fitted with Rolls-Royce Aquamaster Z drives with controllable pitch propellers of 2.8m diameter.
The Ice Class tugs will develop 60 tonnes of bollard pull while the non Ice Class tugs will develop 70 tonnes of bollard pull. A Kamewa bow thruster of 150kW is also fitted on all four tugs.
Auxiliary power is provided by two Volvo Penta gensets developing 165kW each. A Volvo Penta harbor gen-set developing 85kW is also fitted on each tug. The tug has a 150 tonne Ridderinkhof electric line handling winch on the raised foredeck, capable of storing 400’ of 3 ¼” Spectra line.
For towing and anchor-handling operations, a set of 200mm tow-pins and a stern roller are installed along with a 150 tonne Ridderinkhof aft towing winch, Ridderinkhof tugger winch/capstan, a 75 tonne Washington Chain tow-hook. The aft winch is capable of storing 762m of 51mm wire.
Comfortable accommodations for six is provided. Noise levels are within the stringent requirements of the Danish Maritime Authorities. Two remote-controlled FiFi monitors supplied by Fire Fighting Systems capable of a discharge rate of 1,200 m3/hr each are fitted aft above the wheelhouse. The monitors are supplied by a dedicated pump of 2,800 m3/hr, driven off the front end of the port main engine. A water curtain of 300m3/hr is supplied by the pump, or alternatively foam can be supplied at 300m3/hr.
Below the waterline, the tug is fitted with a large escort keel forward to provide effective indirect towing capability and enhance course keeping, especially when running astern. The two Ice Class tugs are fitted with an ice-stop on the forward end of the skeg and two ice knives on the aft hull. Deliveries are scheduled for 2009 and 2010. The second vessel is scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2009. The vessels will be managed by Nordane Shipping of Svendborg, Denmark. CMC of Aarhus, Denmark are the owners’ consultants on this contract.