VESSEL REVIEW | Summitt – Pusher tug to assist ferry crossings along Tennessee River

The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has placed a new inland pusher tug into service.

Summitt was built at the Sheridan Shipyard of Ohio-based McGinnis to a design by SeaCraft Design. Her main function is to push TDOT’s non-self-propelled open deck barge Volunteer in transporting vehicles and passengers on four-minute trips between the Tennessee counties of Benton and Houston via the Tennessee River.

Built for heavy-duty, daily use

River Marine Services is the operator of the new tug – which will run for 365 days a year – while ownership will remain with TDOT.

Summitt has a length of 48 feet (15 metres), a beam of 18 feet (5.5 metres), a moulded depth of 6.33 feet (1.93 metres), and a gross tonnage of 36. The wheelhouse sits 18 feet above the waterline, providing the bridge crew with enhanced all-round visibility.

Two John Deere 6090AFM85 US EPA Tier III diesel engines that each produce 285 hp (213 kW) at 2,100 rpm turn Michigan Wheel four-bladed propellers via Twin Disc MG-5091DC gearboxes. Fuel is fed from forward and aft tanks with a total capacity of 4,060 gallons (15,370 litres) while steering via a Skipper Engineered Products hydraulic dual system.

The hull is protected by bow fenders from Schuyler and custom side fendering from McGinnis. The interiors meanwhile feature Distribution International ceiling panels, Tufflex floors, and Concord sound-reducing wall panels to help enhance crew comfort.

Faster transits coupled with all-weather capability

The wheelhouse electronics include a Furuno radar and a Fireboy-Xintex alarm panel. These and the other onboard systems draw power from a Kubota KK4 30kW generator.

The deck equipment consists of a Nabrico hand-operated winch and a Wintech winch. The latter is placed on the stern and is used to secure the tug against the deck barge for safer operation in adverse weather.

Other systems include R.W. Fernstrum and Co engine grid coolers and an Ahead Sanitation Systems wastewater treatment system.

Summitt was built to have an operational life of 30 years. She has since replaced a pusher tug that had handled Volunteer across the same Tennessee River route since 1957.

George Ritchie, Vice President of Operations for River Marine Services, said that the newer vessel will allow crossings to be completed twice as fast and that her operation and maintenance will be less costly.