‘EDDY 1’ attracts visitors in Hamburg
One of the vessels on-show in Hamburg for ITS 2014 was the very recently completed Eddy 1, the prototype ‘Efficient Double-ended Dynamic’ (EDDY) tug. MJ has followed the progress of this project almost from its inception. The project is being promoted by EDDY Tug BV, a company formed by the original inventors and Holland Shipyards BV of Hardinxveld-Giessendam who built the prototype in record time.
EDDY Tug Bv manned a stand in the ITS 2014 Exhibition area and invited delegates to visit Eddy 1 at the waterfront for inspection and trial trips. This first Eddy variant is designated the EDDY 30-65, a vessel of 30.30m in length overall, with a breadth of 13.40m and operating draft of 4.75m. The tug was built, in just 9 months, and meets the Bureau Veritas class – BV 1+HULL+ MACH, Escort Tug, AUT-UMS Unrestricted Navigation.
The team ran extensive trials in Rotterdam immediately prior to leaving for Hamburg. Eddy 1 achieved the predicted bollard pull of 65 tonnes without difficulty and registered a maximum speed of 13.5 knots. The tug has a diesel-electric ‘hybrid’ propulsion system and undertook the voyage to Hamburg, using only one generator and the electric motors, to complete the trip in 18 hours at 9 knots, displaying incredibly low fuel consumption.
A number of variants of the EDDY tug are on offer, all incorporating the same advanced, yet simple and economical to construct, truly double-ended hull form. It has slender ends and a high freeboard fore and aft which improves seaworthiness and operability. Common to all variants is the installation of a fully azimuthing propulsion units at each end and a large central skeg to give good directional stability and a substantial increase in line-pull when operating in the indirect towing mode.
Visiting Eddy 1 was interesting and enlightening. The tug has two separate and identical enginerooms, separated by accommodation space. In each of the spacious engine rooms is a Schottel SRP 3000 propulsion unit incorporating a 460kW electric motor in addition to the normal input shaft that is coupled to a Mitsubishi S16R diesel main engine rated at 1610kW (2160bhp). Also housed in each engineroom is a Scania DI 16 diesel generator, to provide electrical power to the Schottel drive motor in the hybrid mode. A single SiSu 49 CTAG (89 kWe) auxiliary generator in the aft engineroom caters for domestic loads.
A double-drum Kraajieveld Safewinch is installed on the spacious deck forward of the wheelhouse with the towlines deployed via a purpose built fairlead with two apertures.. Fendering comprises a double row of 800mm diameter cylindrical fenders and is suitable for push pull operations.
Push and pull forces can be applied in any direction, with minimum need for reposition, and are always immediately available. When assisting a ship at speed, high dynamic forces of up to twice the tugs bollard pull can be generated when acting as a bow or stern tug.
Comfortable accommodation is provided for up to 8 people in six cabins, all with en-suite WC/shower facilities.
By Jack Gaston
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