Crowley doubles the order for Ocean Class tugs – By Jack Gaston

Crowley has recently doubled its order for high bollard pull, ‘Ocean’ class tugs from Bollinger Shipyards. The contract brings the number of new 10,880 horsepower tugs being constructed to four. This is in addition to the investment of over $1bn Crowley is already making in new tugs, high capacity barges and Articulated Tug & Barge tank vessels (ATBs).

The new tugs, to be named Ocean Sun and Ocean Sky, will join the Ocean Wave and Ocean Wind in the Crowley fleet over the next two and a half years and further consolidate the company’s standing as an industry leader in ocean towing, salvage and offshore marine support. Ideally suited to work with Crowley’s new generation of deck barges, the Ocean Class tugs will be equipped for long range, high capacity ocean towing, rig moves, platform and floating production, FPSO unit tows, emergency response and fire fighting.

All four tugs will be constructed by Bollinger Marine Fabricators LLC in Amelia, Louisiana and scheduled for delivery in 2011 and 2012. This latest generation of towing vessels will be equipped with twin screw, controllable pitch propellers in fixed nozzles and high lift rudders to achieve maximum performance and fuel economy. The tugs will also feature dynamic positioning technology (DP-1), to enable the vessels to maintain position and heading automatically using an integrated control system.

Ocean Wave and its sister ships will have a minimum bollard pull of 150 tons and a range of approximately 12,600 nautical miles at 15 knots running free. The tugs will measure 144 feet long, 46 feet wide and have a draft of 20 feet.

Caterpillar main engines and auxiliary generators will all be EPA Tier II compliant and have the ability to be upgraded to meet future environmental standards for cleaner emissions and a lower environmental impact. Double skinned hull construction offers additional protection against accidental discharge of fuel or fluids into the sea.

The new tugs will feature ‘waterfall’ style winches, shark jaw line handling equipment and retractable pins all remotely controlled from the wheelhouse, keeping the deck clear of personnel and reducing the risk of accidents. Crew accommodation is to incorporate ergonomic features and a high level of comfort proven to minimise fatigue and reduce injuries.

The ‘Ocean’ class tugs will hold Green Passports, which have an inventory of materials present in a vessel’s structure, systems and equipment that may be hazardous to health or the environment. A Green Passport is regularly updated and maintained and is eventually passed by the owner to the vessel recycling yard at the end of the ship’s life, to enable the yard to formulate a safe and environmentally sound way of breaking the vessel.

Jensen Maritime Consultants Inc, a Crowley subsidiary, was selected by Bollinger Shipyards to complete the final design drawings and specifications for the new vessels. Jensen’s design efforts include vessel arrangements, hull and deckhouse lines, structural design, equipment foundations design and stability.

Once delivered, the long range, high capacity, ocean towing vessels will help further Crowley’s position as an industry leader in offshore towing for years to come.