Construction Contract Awarded for New Z-drive Tug

Brusco Tug & Barge, Inc. of Longview, Wash. has announced the award of the construction contract for a new 78 ft. Z-drive tug to Diversified Marine, Inc. of Portland, Ore. This new tug is the seventh in the series of the ASD 23/35 high-performance, low-manning tug design developed by Robert Allan Ltd., and incorporates several new features reflected in the ongoing development of this class of modern high-performance ship assist tug. The most significant change to the design is the increase in power installed in this tug design since its initial development more than 20 years ago. As a consequence of the higher power, the beam of the tug has been increased to provide greater stability and the fendering system has changed significantly to reflect both the higher power, and changes in fender and hawser technologies. During the two decades of development and refinement to this particular Robert Allan Ltd. design, six tugs were built and are presently operating in Canada and the U.S. The tug is powered by two Detroit Diesel Model 12V4000 electronically-controlled diesel engines, each rated at 1,800 bhp driving Ulstein Model 1350H Z-drives. Markey Machinery Co. Inc. is supplying the hydraulic towing winch, which has a "render recover" feature. The new tug's expected delivery date is the fourth quarter of 2000, when the tug will be put directly to work in Port Hueneme, Calif. Vessel Specifications Length, overall: 78.1 ft. Beam, moulded: 30.3 ft. Depth, moulded: 11.2 ft. Maximum draft: 12.5 ft. Bollard Pull: 45 tons Power: 3,600 bhp Main engines: Detroit Diesel 12V4000 Propulsion: Ulstein 1350H Z-drives Fuel oil: 6,700 gallons Fresh water: 500 gallons Complement: Two