Jack James is a Damen Stan Tug 1605, built to a design with an ancestry dating back over twenty years, probably well before its predecessor the Stan Tug 1 in the 1980s. The basic design is popular and well proven and with the exception of minor modifications and refinements has changed little in recent years. Damen Shipyards have recognised a good product and have remained loyal to it.

This particular tug is noteworthy mainly because it has the most powerful propulsion system yet installed in a vessel of this design.

The integrity of the recent 1605 tug design is evident when Jack James is lying alongside its predecessor and working sister Guy James delivered to Butchers in April 1995. With the exception of small details there is very little external difference and thanks to the excellent maintenance the older tug has received the two are for all intents and purposes sister-ships.

In structural terms Jack James is a typical Stan Tug 1605 with an overall length of 16.89m, beam of 5.29m and draft aft of 2.30m. A standard 'stock' hull was used and fitted out to the owners specification at Damen's Gorinchem shipyard. As with all of the tug/workboats in the Butcher fleet the vessel is employed as a 'day boat' and there was no requirement for sleeping accommodation.

Therefore the forward hull spaces contain a fully fitted toilet and a storage area for spare towing gear. The decks, fore and aft, have been kept as clear as possible and additional guard-rails are fitted to the bulwarks amidships to improve safety. Integral tanks are installed for 13.7m 3of fuel, 1.3m 3of ballast water, 0.7m 3of fresh water and 0.5m 3of sewage.

Two Caterpillar 3408C TA/C main engines produce a total of 1080bhp (806kW) running at a of 2100rev/min (MCR).

Reinjes WF 164 gearboxes, with a reduction of 5.619:1, transmit power to a pair of fixed pitch bronze propellers rotating within 1300mm diameter Van de Giessen nozzles with stainless steel liners. Twin rudders, with 2 x 5º steering angles are controlled by Litton Marine hydraulic steering gear.

On trials Jack James achieved a bollard pull of 14.5 tonnes at MCR and a free running speed of 10.4 knots. In service the tug has proved to be a manoeuvrable and stable towing platform, gaining a little benefit from a some additional weight, when compared with the earlier vessel.

The main engines are cooled via a closed circuit keel cooling system and therefore protected from the ingress of waterborne debris. Electrical power aboard Jack James is supplied by a 24 volt alternator on each main engine and two banks of batteries.

Provision is made to accept a shore supply when the vessel is lying at its 'marina style' moorings in Portsmouth Camber. An electrical heating system is provided to warm the main engines during cold weather. A Hydrophore electrically driven domestic fresh water system is fitted, and a Kabola oil fired boiler is used to heat the wheelhouse, forward store and toilet.

The wheelhouse is comfortably fitted out with upholstered benches and large mess table in usual workboat style. With the vessel underway the wheelhouse . .

. . is remarkably quiet, thanks to a floating Bolidt floor and Dampa acoustic ceiling. Main engine and steering controls are located centrally on the main console and there is no provision for a flying bridge on this vessel.

An Observator 'Kotter type' magnetic compass is fitted in a binnacle on the wheelhouse roof and due to the local nature of the vessel's operation no auto-pilot is fitted. Navigational equipment comprises a Furuno package that includes a 1833C radar, GD-1900C colour video plotter, a GP-320B GSP and ETR-6/10N echosounder.

The entire 'package' is integrated under a Furuno Nav-net system allowing a wide range of display choices on how information is displayed on two LCD screens on the starboard side of the main console. VHF communications equipment by Sailor includes two RT2048 radios and one RT4801 with DSC.

A single remotely operated Pesch 250W searchlight, and a number of 150W floodlights, is installed on the wheelhouse roof. The mast, of light tubular construction, carries the mandatory lighting system and can be lowered by means of a small hand winch.

On deck the single 'High Holding Power' Pool type anchor is handled by a simple hand windlass. The after deck is neatly arranged as per the earlier vessel and a Mampaey disc type tow-hook, with a 15 tonnes safe working load, is fitted to the usual 'Dutch' towing bollards.

When shiphandling Jack James tows with a single manmade fibre towline, made up with a number of spliced soft eyes to allow the optimum length of tow to be chosen for each operation.

Jack James has joined a fleet of four other tug/workboats ranging in power from 360 to 940 brake horsepower. The new tug is an additional asset required to assist with the increasing number of larger ships calling at Portsmouth commercial docks, mainly with cargoes of fruit.

Approximately 350 ships per year use the port in addition to regular ferries and Channel Island service. Such is the scale of fruit imports, at the highly specialised Portsmouth facilities, that seven out of every 10 bananas consumed in Britain pass through the port. Ships from Fyffes, Dole, Geest and Jamaica Producers all make weekly calls throughout the year. Other seasonal fruits are also imported for countries including Morocco, New Zealand, Cuba, Columbia, South Africa and Costa Rica.

Many of the vessels transport a mix of containerised refrigerated cargoes and general cargo carried in the holds and on deck. Ships of up to 172m in length use the Porstmouth facilities and are berthed in the somewhat confined area in the commercial docks.

It is just that confined working environment that makes the small tug/workboat ideal for handling such ships.

Ships are met by the tugs at the harbour entrance, escorted past the busy naval dockyard, and berthed using a well rehearsed passage plan put together by the tug owner, the port authority and pilots. Towage is an economical service in which the number and power of the tugs is carefully chosen to suit the size of ship and weather conditions at the time.

MJ Information No: 17501