Gondan build two terminal tugs for Neri

Corrado Neri

and sister

Constante Neri

, due for delivery shortly, are capable not only of the normal terminal duties of shiphandling, escort, fire fighting, and pollution control duties but also anchor handling, supply services to offshore terminals and salvage work.

The tugs are registered in Genoa and classed by RINA with the notations C Hull MACH, TUG, Unrestricted Navigation, AUT-UMS, Oil Recovery Ship, Fire-Fighting Ship-2 with Water Spray, Salvage Tug, Escort Tug, IW, SYS-NEQ 1. A bollard pull of 110 tons, a fire fighting system complying with FiFi 2, and a comprehensive outfit of equipment puts the Corrado Neri in the upper echelons of the terminal tug market.

Designed by Cintranaval – Defcar of Spain, the 35m long vessel has a beam of 14.00m, a loaded draft of 5.50m and measures 733 gross tons. A long raised forecastle extends aft to the towing deck and is heavily fendered around bow and sides. The square stern gives a large clear work area around the 150 tons SWL stern roller and line handling pins, or space to transport three 20 foot ISO containers.

Corrado Neri is equipped with two completely independent Rolls-Royce single drum winches on the fore deck for escort work and towage, a feature favoured by the owner, and offering additional flexibility and redundancy. Each winch has a maximum line pull of 100 tons, a maximum brake holding capacity of 420 tons and carry 300m of 78mm diameter Dyneema towline. A heavy duty Rolls-Royce Bratvaag ‘Waterfall’ type double drum towing winch is located aft for towing and anchor handling over the stern. Both drums have a maximum brake load of 250 tons. The upper drum is equipped with a 72mm diameter steel wire or ‘Steelite’ work-wire/towline of 150m in length, and the lower drum a 600m towline of similar material.

The fire fighting system incorporates two stainless steel monitors, one mounted adjacent to each bridge wing, with a capacity of 7200cu/m, and a single 600cu/m water foam monitor forward of the bridge. Two fire pumps of 3,749cu/m/hr capacity are driven by the main engines to serve the monitors and self protection spray system.

Included in an extensive inventory of pollution control equipment is a Discoil float skimmer capable of recovering 50cu/m of oil per hour, one oil boom reel and 200m of oil boom and 150m of oil absorbing boom. Chemical dispersant can be sprayed via two 6.50m booms at a rate of 900 litres/hr.

Corrado Neri is powered by two MAN 9L27/38 main engines, generating a total of 8,300bhp, coupled to a pair of Schottel SRP3030CP azimuthing propulsion units with 3,000mm diameter controllable pitch propellers. Manoeuvrability is enhanced with a 150kW hydraulically driven bow thruster. On trials the tug achieved a bollard pull of 110 tons pulling ahead and 104 tons astern. Steering forces, operating in the escort (indirect) mode, are reported to be in the order of 120 tons at 10 knots. A maximum speed of 13.5 knots is specified along with an economic speed of 11 knots.

Shipboard electrical power is supplied by two MAN-Lindeberg auxiliary alternators rated at190 kVA , 380V – 50 Hz backed up by a 75 kVA, radiator cooled emergency generator from the same manufacturer.

Tank spaces are available for 301cu/m of fuel, 69cu/m of water, 146cu/m of recovered oil, 7 + 45cu/m of foam compound and 22cu/m of chemical dispersant.

Fully air conditioned accommodation, fitted out to a high standard, includes two single, two double and one four berth en-suite cabins for officers, crew and additional personnel. Other facilities include a galley, messroom, refrigerated store, dry store, sanitary spaces, sick bay, changing and drying room, laundry, stores, engine control room and a fully equipped office.

A well glazed wheelhouse, with deep outward sloping windows all round, contains a single control position and an extensive outfit of navigational and communications equipment. Radio and safety related systems are compliant with GMDSS Areas A1, A2 and A3. The navigational outfit includes two ARPA radars, two DGPS Navigators, an autopilot, speed log, an echosounder and two gyrocompasses.

Astilleros Gondan has a 75 year history and a reputation for high quality shipbuilding with a record of some 200 vessels to its credit, but did not complete its first tug until 2005. Since then the yard has built four sophisticated Voith escort tugs and an innovative Voith powered offshore supply ship for Ostensjo Rederi. The two terminal tugs Neri are the first ASDs to be constructed by Gondan.