VESSEL REVIEW | Hayden Grace – Compact, shallow-draught tug for Bay-Houston Towing Company

Bay-Houston Towing Company of Texas has taken delivery of a new harbour tug from Coden, Alabama-based Master Boat Builders.

Designed by Canadian naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd, Hayden Grace is the first in a series of three tugs to be built for the same owner. Its main area of operations is in the waters between Galveston and Houston.

The tug has a length of 85 feet (25.9 metres), a beam of 38.5 feet (11.7 metres), a draught of 16.4 feet (five metres), and a propulsion arrangement of two Caterpillar 3512E engines each rated 2,213 hp (1,650 kW) at 1,600 rpm driving Schottel SRP 430FP Z-drive units housing 2,200mm propellers. This configuration delivers a bollard pull of 57 tons (52.5 tonnes) and a free running speed of 12.5 knots. The electrical plant meanwhile consists of two John Deere 4045AFM85 diesel generators, each with a power output of 99 ekW.

Ship-handling fenders at the bow consist of one tier of cylindrical fender at the main deck level, a W-fender below the cylindrical fender and along the sheer lines of the main deck, and cylindrical fendering at the stern.

The vessel boasts a customised general interior layout. The master and chief engineer’s cabins, the galley, the mess, and communal sanitary facilities are located on the main deck while two four-person cabins and stores areas are found on the lower deck.

The tug is also fitted with diesel particulate filters and a selective catalytic reduction system to ensure compliance with US EPA Tier IV emissions regulations.

Hayden Grace was completed in compliance to both American Bureau of Shipping and US Coast Guard Subchapter M requirements.

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