Jensen Maritime, Crowley Maritime's naval architecture and marine engineering firm, is providing designs for two ASD tugs for New Orleans-based Crescent Towing.
Based on Jensen's existing 28-metre ASD tug design, the vessels will be powered by 4,000kW engine packages driving Rolls-Royce Z-drives.
The fourth and fifth vessels Jensen has designed for Crescent since 2010, improvements on the new vessels include more power and increased stability during operation, as well as a modified staple placement expected to increase steering forces by approximately 30 per cent.
To accommodate this increase, the tow point will be lowered and allowed to move further off-centre, increasing stability in working modes. Increased brake tension on the bow winch will also accommodate the increased steering forces, and tankage has been divided to better control on board liquids, further improving stability and trim control.
The 70TBP tugs will be built by Steiner Shipyard in Alabama and will be capable of operating in a variety of roles, including towage, ship assist, and escort duties.
The tugs are scheduled for delivery in November 2015 and January 2016.
