Chloe K is delivered to Bay-Houston

Designed by Robert Allan Ltd of Vancouver BC, Chloe K was constructed by Leevac Shipyards LLC of Jennings, Louisiana. A second tug of the same type, named Zeus, is also under construction at the same yard for an associate company, Suderman& Young, with delivered scheduled for the last quarter of 2013.

The Z Tech 2400 tugs are a smaller version of the three Z-Tech 7500 tugs that joined the Bay-Houston fleet between 2007 and 2009. While the new class tugs are smaller, they have enormous power for their size. In keeping with their larger cousins, the new design offers all the advantages of the Z -Tech design.The forward deck (over the skeg) has a low, flat sheer, creating a spacious, relatively flat and safe working deck, without any of the usual obstructions.

For ‘sea-going’ operations, the Z-Tech tug works astern in tractor mode and the shape of this portion of the hull is more rounded in plan than is typically seen in an ASD design. Operating In this direction there is no appreciable loss of speed. The increased flare and freeboard at the ‘aft’ end is simply to ensure a drier operation on deck when towing in this direction. Only one winch, supplied by Markey, is required for both harbour and coastal towing operations. When towing long distances the Z-Tech simply tows in tractor mode going ‘astern’.

The Z-Tech configuration, with its low sheer forward coupled with the aft positioning of the superstructure and wheelhouse, enables the tugs to work under the large overhanging flare common at the bow on many modern ships.

Chloe K is a vessel of 24.38m in length (80 feet), with a beam of 11.58m (38 feet) and a working draft of 4.88m (16 feet). The tug is powered by two Caterpillar 3516C HD high performance main engines, generating a total of 5,150 bhp to drive a pair of Schottel SRP 1215 fully azimuthing propulsion units with 2.4m diameter propellers. With this propulsion system the vessel has a minimum bollard pull of 60 tonnes and is capable of assisting even the largest vessels calling on the Texas coast.

While the Z-Tech 7500 series are primarily used at LNG terminals with large tankers and post-Panamax container ships, the Z-Tech 2400 vessels wil be capable of operating in the all of the ports serviced, including the confined quarters of the Houston Ship Channel. Bay-Houston Towing Co. provides tug services in Houston, Galveston, Texas City, Freeport, and Corpus Christi, Texas. As a company, Bay-Houston Towing Co is dedicated to safety and is a member of the American Waterways Operators, and certified under the Responsible Carrier Program.