VESSEL REVIEW | Tamoya II – Compact catamaran workboat to support Great Barrier Reef preservation efforts

Australian boatbuilder Norman R. Wright and Sons (NRW) recently delivered a new catamaran workboat to the Reef Joint Field Management Program run by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Queensland Department of Environment and Science (DES).

Tamoya II will serve a broad range of roles in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. The DES said these duties include marine surveillance, compliance patrols, infrastructure management and maintenance, and reef and island restoration management.

The newbuild has all-aluminium construction, an LOA of 18.6 metres, a beam of 6.5 metres, a maximum draught of 1.5 metres, and space for 12 passengers and crew plus up to two tonnes of assorted cargo via an aft deck.

Onboard facilities include a mess, a full galley, a wet room, two double cabins, two single cabins, and storage space for rigid inflatable boats (RIBs). The RIBs are deployed and recovered with the aid of a quick launch and recovery system fitted on the aft main deck.

Two MAN i6-850 engines that each produce 625 kW at 2,300 rpm drive fixed-pitch propellers via ZF gearboxes to enable Tamoya II to reach a top speed of 28 knots, a service speed of 20 knots, and a range of 500 nautical miles. The range allows the vessel to conduct extended-duration enforcement sailings in and around the protected waters of the reef.

A Humphree trim and stabilisation system will allow the crew to optimise the trim for different sea and load conditions to assist with fuel savings, range, and seakeeping. This system also comes with a ride control function to ensure improved onboard comfort, thus reducing crew fatigue on long voyages in rough weather.

A deck crane is fitted for loading cargo onto the wheelhouse roof. The crane may also be used for RIB deployment. The roof has ample space for two 4.5-metre RIBs, and these boats are to be lowered from the roof with the aid of the crane. Also fitted on the roof are a Garmin radar and a rotating thermal camera, and these draw some of their power from an array of solar panels.

Tamoya II was designed in compliance to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s DCV 1C/2C guidelines, which permit restricted offshore operations with a maximum of 12 passengers up to 50 nautical miles off the Queensland coast or within the Great Barrier Reef region.