The thrust of this development has been to secure work for the company’s fleet of specialised support vessels wherever the market dictates. During the past few months Holyhead Towing reports that the vast majority of their fleet, including tugs, survey craft and other vessels, have been working on projects overseas. Among the projects mentioned to MJ are supporting services for pipelaying in Kuwait, Azerbaijan and Nigeria; port construction at Ras Laffan; dredging in St Petersburg and wreck removal in the Azores. Business in Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan sees the shallow draft tugs Afon Cefni and Afon Braint working under the Russian flag. Under a joint venture with Russian partners Silverburn Shipping and their Moscow operating company Ark Shipping, Holyhead Towing are supplying (mainly Russian) tugs and barges to Saipem for construction work on the Kashagan oilfield development in Kazakhstan. An office has been set up in Aktau, Kazakhstan, to manage the project.

The new Afon Cadnant is under construction in the Netherlands at the shipyard of Metaaldraaierij Sepers BV, with delivery scheduled for May 2007. Designed by technical staff from Holyhead Towing in close collaboration with consultants Technical Bureau Gommers, the vessel will be a triple screw, shallow draft, anchor handling, tug/supply vessel with a 54 ton bollard pull meeting the requirements for Lloyds  + 100 A1 Tug LMC UMS, Ice Class 1b, Fi-Fi 1.

With an overall length of 35m (excluding fenders) the tug will have a beam of 11.5m (excluding fenders), a mean draft of 3.15m and a minimum working draft of 2.4m. A triple screw design was chosen in order to achieve the required shallow draft, sufficient buoyancy for anchor handling and lifting, and the high bollard pull specified. Three Cummins KTA 50 M2 main engines will generate a total of 5,100 bhp at 1,800 rpm. Power will be transmitted, via reduction gearboxes, to triple fixed pitch propellers rotating in Kort nozzles. Four, quick acting, semi-balanced high stall angle rudders with a 60(DEGREE) hard-over operating range will be fitted and manoeuvrability will be improved yet further by a hydraulically powered Kort bow thruster generating 2 ½ tons of thrust. A bollard pull of 54 tons is anticipated along with a maximum free running speed of 12 knots.

Two Cummins N 14M diesels of 480 bhp each will drive hydraulic power packs capable of working in tandem or separately to power the bow thruster, winches, windlass and crane. A pair of Cummins 6BT 5.9 D(M)  auxiliary generators, rated at 105kVA each, will supply power to the ship’s electrical systems.

As one would expect in a tug of this type, serious thought has gone into the deck equipment required. A ‘reverse waterfall’ double drum, towing and anchor handling winch will have a maximum line pull of 50 tons and carry 550m of 52mm diameter steel wire rope (SWR) on the towing drum and 380m of 48mm SWR on the work drum for anchor handling. A tugger winch, stern roller, and hydraulic tow pins, line handling equipment and a hydraulically powered storage reel will also be provided. The deck crane chosen is a hydraulically operated Heila marine crane, with a capacity of 185 tons per metre, fitted with a 6 ton wire hoist. The spacious after deck will be timber clad in the usual way.

In the present market Holyhead Towing are finding increasing demand for tugs of this type, working in and around oil and gas installations, to be equipped with fire fighting equipment. To that end Afon Cadnant will be equipped to full FiFi 1 standard. 

A comprehensive navigation and communications equipment package will be provided, suitable for deep sea operations and work on site. The communications outfit will comply with the standards for GMDSS Area A3 and include all the facilities necessary for the vessel to operate in remote locations virtually unsupported.

Fully air conditioned accommodation will house up to 18 person in 10 cabins and again will include all the facilities necessary to support lengthy voyages and long periods on site.

By JACK GASTON