New Cat-Powered Tugboat Ordered
A new Caterpillar powered tugboat ordered by the Port and Maritime Services Co. Ltd. in Gdansk, is set to play a key role in the ambitious expansion plans of the port authority.
Improving the facilities available to customers using the port of Gdansk, including ship owners visiting the massive Remontowa ship repair yard or trading goods into or out of the country, the new vessel is part of an initiative designed to allow Poland to capitalize on its location as one of the major gateways between Russia and the West.
Scheduled for an April 2001 delivery, it will also operate in conjunction with another Cat powered tugboat, allow the Port and Maritime Services company to offer a two-vessel, combined 90 ton bollard pull performance capability for Panamax tankers in line with the worldwide tanker safety recommendations of Clyde Consultants.
Measuring 98 ft. (30 m) with a 35 ft. (10.8 m) beam, the new vessel, being built at the Stocznia Pólnocna SA (Northern) Shipyard in Gdansk, is a single deck escort tractor tug with two azimuth thrusters located under the forepart of the hull. It is designed to work within ports and shipping lanes.
Two main propulsion Cat 3512B electronically controlled marine diesel engines each provide 1230 bkW (1650 bhp) at 1600 rpm and two azimuth thrusters feature a controllable pitch 2,150mm diameter propeller. The vessel has a bollard pull of 420 kN (42 tons) and a cruising speed of 12 knots.
Auxiliary power is provided by two Caterpillar 3304B generator sets each producing 106 kVA (50 hertz) at 1500 rpm. The new vessel, likely to be called Taurus, accommodates a crew of five and features a 6.3 ton (at 5.5 m) deck crane, a hydraulically driven windlass, a hydraulically driven double drum towing winch, two radars, an echo sounder, a GPS receiver and two VHF radio telephones.
The Cat engines have been supplied and will be supported by Enertek, the Caterpillar power systems dealer organization for Poland, with offices in the port of Gdynia.
