Sanmar’s VSP tug delivered
Sanmar’s first Voith Schneider Propeller (VSP) tug of the new VectRA 3000 series named ‘Arie A’ has been delivered to Italian operator Tripmare of Trieste, Italy.
The vessel was delivered by a Redwise crew to Ashdod Port, located some 21 nautical miles south of Tel Aviv where it will operate.
The VectRA 3000 series has been designed by the Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd exclusively for Sanmar. Sanmar’s brief to Robert Allan Ltd was to create a VSP tug which was under 500 gross tonnes and which would incorporate high-speed engines, a clutch between thruster and engine, electronic controls and be fully MLC 2006 compliant for all crew accommodation.
The tug measures 30.25 metres in length with a moulded beam of 13 metres and an overall draft of six metres.
Driving the forward located Voith type 32-R5 250 cycloid propellers is a pair of Caterpillar 3516C high speed diesels, each developing 2,525kW at 1,800rpm.
Instead of the traditional Voith Turbo coupling, the engines are connected to the Voith propulsion through a pair of Reintjes model WAF 843 clutch and reduction gearboxes. This reduces transmission losses, thus increasing the overall propulsion efficiency, and also enables the drives to be de-clutched at idle, significantly reducing fuel burn.
Using high-speed engines also significantly reduces the space occupied by drive machinery and of course results in much lower weight, allowing a finer more efficient hull form for the same deadweight.
