Windlasses News

A pair of new tugs has been delivered to Ri Zhao Port, Shandong, China in February and March of this year, followed by an official naming ceremony held at owner’s fleet base last week.The newly completed RAmparts 3400 ASD tugs Ri Gang Tuo 1 and Ri Gang Tuo 2 were designed by Robert Allan Ltd. and constructed at Rizhao Kingda Shipbuilding Heavy Industry Co. Ltd., for operations in Rizhao Port on the coast of the Yellow Sea, China.According to the designer, the newly developed RAmparts…

Turkish shipbuilder Uzmar has built thee new tugs for Smit Lamnalco.Designed by Robert Allan Ltd., the three purpose-designed and -built RAstar 4200 ASD tugs SL Ibo, SL Matemo and SL Macaloe were ordered in 2019. They are the first RAstar 4200 design vessels used for terminal support and have been outfitted specially for these operations. These new 42-meter tugs are specifically designed to be operated in the offshore area near the northeast coast of Pemba, Mozambique. The three tugboats will be working together with one multipurpose vessel as a fleet in support of FLNG operation…

Boston-based Sea Machines Robotics revealed on Wednesday that its SM200 wireless helm system has been installed and is being used aboard two sister U.S.-flag articulated tug-barge (ATB) tugboats.Sea Machines said its dealer Rio Controls & Hydraulics, of Houston, managed the installations and technology integrations at a U.S. Gulf of Mexico shipyard. In the coming months, Rio and Sea Machines will continue to work together to install additional SM200 systems on at least five more ATB tugboats by the same owner.Sea Machines’ wireless helm system introduces flexible control for mariners…

Svitzer Australia recently took delivery of a new RAstar 3000-W series ASD tug, Svitzer North, from ASL Shipyard in Singapore.The vessel's design was developed by Robert Allan Ltd. in close cooperation with Svitzer’s operations team, to meet the unique demands of the Port of Geraldton, Western Australia. With over 400 ship visits per year, the port’s primary cargo is iron ore, with over 10 MTPA exported. The port is located in a sensitive environmental area, requiring the tug to be at the forefront of safety and reliability…

Boston-based Sea Machines Robotics, a developer of autonomous command and remote-helm control systems, announced today that Herman Sr. BV, a Netherlands-based tug and workboat company, will add a Sea Machines’ SM200 wireless, remote-helm control system to one of its Shoalbuster tugboats, the 23.35-meter Teddy, for the purposes of increasing productivity and operational safety during offshore operations. The SM200 provides wireless helm and propulsion control, as well as remote control of auxiliaries and payload equipment (including pumps…

Canadian provider of polymer bearing solutions Thordon Bearings said that its ThorPlas-Blue has established itself as the bearing of choice for deck equipment, with European shipyards and owners frequently specifying the grease-free bearing system as standard for vessels’ winches, fairleads, davits, capstans and windlasses.According to a press note from Thordon Bearings, Sweden’s Falkvarv AB, Oresund Dry Docks, and the Oskarshamnsvarvet shipyard have been particularly strong proponents of the grease-free bearing, with these yards maintaining an inventory of ThorPlas-Blue stock with which to replace worn and costly bronze bearings and bushings when vessels drydock for repairs.

Jiangsu Zhenjiang Shipyard in China has delivered Yong Gang Xiao Tuo 60, a dual fuel RAstar 3800-DF tug, to Ningbo Zhoushan Port Company Ltd.According to a release from the naval architectural firm Robert Allan, this first ever RAstar 3800-DF tug is the 10th custom designed vessel by Robert Allan Ltd. in close collaboration with Ningbo Port Company. The vessel is also the first Robert Allan Ltd. designed dual-fuel tug to operate in China.The new RAstar 3800-DF tug is powered by a pair of Niigata 8L28AHX-DF dual-fuel engines, each rated for 2,389 kW at 800 rpm, and driving Kongsberg US 255 CP 2.8 meter diameter controllable pitch Z-drives. Bollard pull recorded on trials met all expectations and is certified as 80.3 tonnes ahead.

U.S.-based autonomous marine systems developer Sea Machines announced on Tuesday that it has received class and regulatory approval to install its commercial wireless helm system aboard a class of U.S.-flag tugboats that support articulated tug-barge (ATB) sets, marking an industry first in wireless vessel control.The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) approval for Sea Machines’ SM200 follows a review of the Boston-based company’s technology and the system’s applications aboard ATB tugs, deeming the system satisfactory for shipboard installation and trials.

Northern China  Port of Tianjin has taken delivery of Azimuth Stern Drive (ASD) Tug Jin Gang Lun 33 from the Shanghai Harbour Fuxing Shipping Service Company shipyard.The ASD 35/50 Tug is joining the Port’s tugboat fleet and serves the main roles of harbour towing, berthing and unberthing visiting vessels.Following Jin Gang Lun 31 and Jin Gang Lun 32 which were delivered to Tianjin Port early this year, Jin Gang Lun 33 is also custom designed in Canada by the Vancouver based naval architects Robert Allan Ltd. The vessel will obtain CCS Notation of I (intelligent)-ship with sub-notation of “M” – intelligent machinery space; “N” – intelligent navigation…

Vetus Maxwell is showcasing its expanded BOW PRO thruster range at the International Workboat Show.The addition of two larger BOW PRO Boosted thruster models has strengthened Vetus Maxwell’s range of control, maneuvering and Dynamic Positioning solutions available for ferries, excursion vessels, pilot boats, search and recovery, and law enforcement boats through the award-winning BOW PRO series. Suitable for vessels up to about 70ft, the new BOWB180 and BOWB210 Boosted thrusters…

Recently brought to the UK’s shores, Dockmate is a future proof, wireless remote-control boat steering system that can be fitted in less than a day on any boat or yacht across the country from driveway to dry dock. Designed to eliminate all the worry and uncertainty associated with docking, Dockmate has confirmed it will be exhibiting for the first time at this year’s Seawork International - Quayside.The team at Dockmate will demonstrate how its remote boat docking technology…

Maintaining mission-critical winches, windlasses and cranes: the four must-have lubrication steps that all operators need to keep gears going. In the marine industry, winches, windlasses and cranes are the work horses of deck and harbor operations. They can be used to set anchors, position floating drill rigs, raise and lower sensitive scientific equipment, tow a ship, load/unload heavy cargo or even land fish. They are as vital to the mission of a vessel or a port as the main engine is to a ship.

For several decades, Rapp Marine has designed and delivered towing winches for workboat market. Combining the best ideas from Rapp’s past work in the other commercial industries and recommendations from the tugboat operators, Rapp Marine has developed long lasting and dependable towing winches. These past towing winches have mainly been powered using hydraulic systems in the North American market. Rapp Marine has previously delivered electric winches to commercial vessels in other industries such as research, oil & gas, and fisheries for years.

The first of three new dual fuel RAstar 4000-DF class extreme escort tugs, the Dux, has been delivered to Østensjø Rederi AS by Spanish shipbuilder Astilleros Gondán S.A. Designed by Robert Allan Ltd., the 40.2 meter vessel is the first of a three boat order from Østensjø for severe weather operations at Statoil's Melkøya LNG Gas terminal at Hammerfest in the extreme north of Norway. These escort tugs will conduct approximately 300 LNG ship escorts annually, assist with berthing operations and will be maintained in readiness for emergency services such as long line towing…

The Cao Gang 26 is a new RAmparts 3300 ASD tug designed by Robert Allan Ltd., constructed at JiangSu Zhenjiang Shipyard (Group) Co. Ltd. in China and delivered to the Owner, Cao Fei Dian Port in Northern China in November 2016. On trials, the vessel met or exceeded all performance expectations, producing bollard pull astern of 60.5 metric tons and a free running speed ahead of 13.5 knots. The vessel has been outfitted to the highest standards for a maximum crew complement of 14, the designer said.

The Cao Gang 26 is a new RAmparts 3300 ASD tug designed by Robert Allan Ltd., constructed at JiangSu Zhenjiang Shipyard (Group) Co. Ltd. in China and delivered to the Owner, Cao Fei Dian Port in Northern China in November 2016. The vessel has been outfitted to the highest standards for a maximum crew complement of 14. The Master’s and Chief Engineer’s cabins are located on the main deck, and two six-person cabins are located on the lower accommodation deck. Also included are common W/C’s on the main and lower accommodation decks. The deck machinery consists of a ship assist hawser winch and a pair of independent anchor windlasses on the bow.

MacGregor has won Pusnes deck machinery orders for a new series of 400,000 dwt very large ore carriers (VLOCs) under construction at Chinese shipyard, Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Heavy Industries. The orders are booked in Cargotec's 2016 third quarter order intake.   MacGregor will deliver high-pressure hydraulically-operated deck machinery based on Pusnes designs. "The equipment is simple to operate, well-proven and known for its high-quality," says Esko Karvonen, Head of Smart Ocean Technology division at MacGregor. "For example, the windlasses are equipped with MacGregor's proven dual-motor installation, which ensures high capacity and reliability."   Construction of the Valemax vessels is part of an agreement between Brazilian mining company, Vale and the Chinese Government.

Rolls-Royce has announced a new deal to provide propulsion and deck machinery to five cruise ships being built by Fincantieri at their Monfalcone and Ancona Shipyards in Italy. The firm orders are to supply a Promas system, deck machinery and steering gear to two vessels being built for Viking Ocean Cruises. The contract also covers steering gear and deck machinery for a further vessel under construction for Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Steering gear is also being provided for two vessels being built for Princess.

Sanmar A.Ş.delivered the Robert Allan Ltd. designed RAstar3200Wescort tugs Civitavecchia and Saraceno Primo to Italian tugboat operator Italtugs S.p.A. The tugs were constructed at Sanmar’s Tuzla facility, the greenest shipyard in Turkey. The RAstarOffshore/Escort Tugs designation is reserved for a unique class of ASD tugs, designed with a sponsoned hull form, a concept originated by Robert Allan Ltd. 20 years ago, and which has been proven in both model and full-scale testing to provide significantly enhanced escort towing and seakeeping performance. Motions and accelerations are less than half those of comparable sized “standard” tug hulls. It is interesting to note that others are now attempting to emulate this concept.

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has signed a major contract with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co Ltd in South Korea to supply a range of Hatlapa deck machinery for ten 172,600m3 liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers. MacGregor will deliver electrically-driven deck machinery, windlasses and mooring winches, all optimised for operations in very low temperatures. Delivery is planned to start in 2017 and continue into 2018. "MacGregor was awarded the contract because it can deliver equipment that complies with the demanding technical requirements of operating in extremely cold conditions," says Alexander Nürnberg, Vice President for Auxiliary and Machinery Systems business at MacGregor. The LNG carriers will operate in the Yamal gas field on the Yamal Peninsula in the Russian Arctic.

President: Blaine W. Seattle-based Markey Machinery Company has roots in the marine and logging industries stretching as far back as the early 1900s. Founded by Charles Markey in 1907, the company has seen several generations of Markeys at its helm through more than 100 years of company growth. Today, led by Blaine W. Dempke and Robert A. LeCoque, the company’s primary focus lies in the manufacture, support and service of custom deck machinery for workboat, scientific and dockside applications.

Gaining further ground into the offshore crane market, Delta "T" Systems supplied Cranston Eagle hooks to crane manufacturer Appleton Marine, Inc. These cranes and hooks will be used on medium endurance cutters and national security cutters to move small boats into the water from bigger ships and to load cargo. With these cutters used by the US Coast Guard, Appleton Marine needed hooks that met the USCG's specific requirements. That's why the crane manufacturer's FB20-21 and FB90-28 crane models employ Cranston Eagle hooks.

Schoellhorn-Albrecht is an industry leader in the design and manufacture of Mooring Equipment and Systems including Capstans, Anchor Windlasses, Deck Fittings and Vessel Access Systems. In addition to standard products, the firm specializes in designing and manufacturing castings, fabrications, and specialized machinery. Products can be designed and certified to ABS, LLOYDS, MIL, ISO, NAVSEA, ASTM, JIS, OCIMF, and NVR as required. The firm has 35 employees. Schoellhorn-Albrecht has engineered and implemented a Programmable Control System designed for mooring and positioning into dry docks.