Name Type Builder Owner/Operator Designer Delivery Date
Z-Tech 6000 ship handling tug Cheoy Lee Shipyards Ltd Panama Canal Authority Robert Allan Ltd 2007
Ship Name Patrol/SAR vessels Builder SeaArk Owner Egyptian Ports and Lighthouses Admin Operator Egyptian Ports and Lighthouses Admin Designer Robert Allan Ltd Delivery Date 2007
SeaArk Marine, Inc. has delivered three 44-ft. Dauntless Class Patrol/SAR vessels to be operated by the Egyptian Ports and Lighthouses Administration. These vessels are an integrated component of the Gulf of Suez Vessel Traffic Information Management System and are tasked with responsibilities for patrol, surveillance, search and rescue, port security, diving, anti-terrorism and monitoring of vessels transiting the Gulf of Suez, Egypt. These vessels are part of an overall maritime Vessel Traffic Information Management
System and Search and Rescue System provided by Lockheed Martin which include land-based radar, communications and computer systems being utilized to manage and monitor vessel traffic in the Gulf of Suez. These SeaArk 44-ft. Dauntless' are constructed of all-welded marine grade aluminum and feature deep-vee variable deadrise hulls that produce smooth, dry and stable rides. Recessed aft cockpits are installed to facilitate the vessels' mission, aiding in diving, recovery and towing operations and in boarding other vessels. These vessels are powered by twin Caterpillar 3126 inboard diesel engines, each rated at 450 hp. Additional outfitting includes 12 kW generators. In order to carry out their mission, the vessels have extensive electronics suites for navigation, communication and vessel traffic monitoring as well as firefighting
The first three of a series of new Z-Tech 6000 Class ship-handling tugs have reported for duty with the Panama Canal Authority (ACP). The first tug arrived in Panama in late January 2007, the second and third in February. Designed by Robert Allan Ltd., these new tugs are based on the Z-Tech 6000 Class design, but were adapted to the operational needs of ACP for the busiest ship channel in the world. The total fleet of eight new tugs is being built by Cheoy Lee Shipyards Ltd. of Hong Kong, at its Hin Lee Shipyard facility in China. The next series of tugs are currently building, with deliveries starting in the third quarter of 2007. The Z-Tech design combines the best performance features of an Azimuthing Stern Drive (ASD) tug with those of a Z-drive tractor tug. The Z-Tech has a large skeg forward, providing a high indirect steering force, and enabling directionally stable operation in both ahead and the astern tractor modes. The working deck forward is relatively low and flat, creating a safer working space, yet still leaving sufficient room to install/withdraw the Z-drive units from aft of the house. For seagoing operations or for line towing, the Z-Tech with its high, rounded stern works stern-first in tractor mode. A single control station serves both harbor ship-handling duties (facing forward over the working deck), and transiting or towing voyages (facing astern). Although after their delivery voyages the new ACP Z-Techs will operate in the relatively benign conditions of the canal, their maiden voyages involved a complete transit of the open Pacific from China to Panama under their own power. The delivery voyages were undertaken by crews from Redwise in the Netherlands, who experienced the full brunt of a series of the same Pacific storms that battered the west coast of North America in December. The ACP Z-Tech 6000 includes a number of unique features, specifically suited to the operations in the Panama Canal. These include: � A wider beam (11.65 m) in order to ensure a higher clearance angle when working under the flare of ships; � The height of the wheelhouse is lower than other tugs of this Class, again to ensure better tug-ship clearance; � Two independent winches forward, which reflects the operational process within the canal, where tugs put up two lines to the stern of an attended ship (thus creating a short bridle) when running through the various restricted areas of the canal. The skeg of the tug then acts as an extended rudder to the attended ship, providing much enhanced maneuverability at slow speeds; � A "day boat" accommodation arrangement, again suited to the nature of the canal operations. A feature of this configuration is a complete "breezeway" across the deckhouse, isolating the exhaust casing/engine room entry from the crew accommodation spaces. This provides much better noise control in the latter.
The Ms. Bonnie is an aluminum crew vessel that was designed by A. K. Suda, Inc. for Barry Graham Oil Service, L.L.C. The 160-ft. vessel was built by Halimar Shipyard, L.L.C. and is classed by ABS Load Line, Class Statement of Fact. The vessel has no deep tonnage frames or tonnage openings, and yet is certified by USCG under 100 Gross Registered Tons (Subchapter T). It is one of the highest deck cargo carrying vessels for its size and type. According to the designer, it also has one of the highest ton per hour transport rates of vessels of its size type.
Boat Name Ms. Bonnie Boat Type Crewboat Builder Halimar Shipyard, L.L.C. Owner Barry Graham Oil Service , L.L.C. Operator Barry Graham Oil Service, L.L.C. Designer A. K. Suda, Inc. Classification ABS (Photo Credit: Skeets Photography)
December, 2007 � MarineNews � 23