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Tugs, Towing & Salvage by Jack Gaston

Northeast Boat Builder Launches Support Mini-Tug

01 Jan 2007

Alnmaritec, specialists in the design and construction of aluminium workboats in Alnwick, Northumberland UK has announced the successful completion of the first vessel it has built since the company came under new ownership in June 2006. The Tender to Seacor Express was launched and completed owners sea trials on the River Tyne in October, right on schedule and exactly 18 weeks after the order was placed.

‘Seacor Express’ now has a powerful aluminium tender.

Tender to Seacor Express is the second ‘Wave Tug’ class vessel to be delivered by Alnmaritec to Seacor Marine, a company that operates one of the world's largest fleets of offshore marine support vessels, serving the global offshore oil and gas exploration and production industry. The boat is designed to operate as a daughter craft to a large Anchor Handling Tug and Supply vessel (AHTS) from which she is crane launched and will carry out hose and line handling duties. On joining its mother ship it will operate in the oil fields off the coast of Congo in West Africa.

Two Cummins 6BTA 5.9-M marine diesels of 260bhp power the new vessel and are coupled to a pair of 900mm diameter propellers via ZF 220W reverse reduction gearboxes. The propellers rotate within steerable Kort nozzles to give the vessel a useful bollard pull of 6.2 tons and a maximum speed of 10 knots. This rugged and powerful little vessel has a displacement of 10.6 tons and is 9.9m in length overall with a beam of 4.3m and draft of 1.4m.

Commenting on the delivery, managing director Chris Millman said, ‘I am delighted that the boat was completed on schedule and particularly pleased that she exceeded her performance specifications during trials; she is a credit to the workers who built her. I am very grateful to Seacor for their continued support after our recent takeover and I hope that she serves them very well’.

By JACK GASTON

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