Robert Allen Designed Tug Launched in Italy
Rimorchiatori Riuniti bolsters Porto di Genova fleet with another Robert Allan Ltd. designed tug
Rimorchiatori Riuniti currently operates five Robert Allan Ltd. designed tugs in its Porto di Genova fleet, including two AVT 2700 harbor escort tugs (Svezia and Inghilterra), one AVT 3600 offshore towing and escort tug (Messico) and two RAmparts 2,400W ASD harbor tugs (Norvegia and Spagna).
The company has recently bolstered its Genova fleet with a new RAmparts 2400SX, 70 metric tons bollard pull tug, built by Sanmar Shipyard in Turkey. This tug has been aptly named Turchia, honoring the country of her builder. The Turchia arrived in her home port of Genova on July 31.
Rimorchiatori Riunti’s fleet has been busy lately with the Messicojust recently towing the Costa Concordia wreck on her final leg into Genova harbor assisted by Rimorchiatori Riuniti’s other Porto di Genova tugs including the Robert Allan Ltd. designed Svezia, Inghilterra, Norvegia and Spagna.
The Sanmar built Turchia, a RAmparts 2400SX Class tug,is a stepsister to Riuniti’s existing Spanish-built RAmparts 2400WClass tugs. It will further strengthen the company’s busy Porto di Genova operation. The vessel is one of Sanmar’s Boğaçay class of tugs and is already the fifth in the series to be built by Sanmar since first introduced in late 2013.
The Turchia’s hull features standard RAmparts class characteristics including good deadrise for improved thruster performance, modest side flare, a half-raised forecastle deck for good sea keeping, gently rounded deck line in plan to ensure that the tug can safely and easily come alongside and remove itself from an attended ship at speed, and most importantly the characteristic conically shaped double chine stern unique to all Robert Allan Ltd. designs which ensures that the tug can run astern at high speeds and maintain good control and directional stability. The hull is under the 24m rule length for load line and tonnage conventions.
The tug features Caterpillar 3516C main engines driving Rolls Royce US 255 fixed pitched Z-drives to deliver 70 metric tons bollard pull.
Particulars are as follows:
- Length overall: 24.4m
- Beam, molded: 11.25m
- Depth, least molded: 4.38m
- Maximum draft (overall): 5.1m
The tug was constructed by Sanmar to ABS Class requirements but will enter into service under RINA flag with the following notation:
- Tank Capacities at 98% are:
- Fuel oil: 87.3m³
- Potable Water: 10.6m³
- Main engine lube oil: 2 m³
- Used oil: 1.9 m³
- Sludge: 1.1 m³
- Oily Water: 1.6 m³
- Grey Water: 3 m³
- Sewage holding tank: 3 m³
- Water Ballast: 41.8 m³
The vessel has been outfitted to high standards for a crew of six people. The main deckhouse contains the galley, mess, two officer cabins, and a common WC. The lower deck contains 2double berth cabins, a laundry, galley stores, and a common WC space. The wheelhouse is designed with frameless bonded windows for minimum mullion obstruction and a single split control station which provides all round maximum visibility and exceptional visibility to the bow and side fendering. The engine room features a small sound resistant switchboard room.
Ship-handling fenders at the bow comprise an upper row of 800mm diameter cylindrical fender and a lower course of W-fender. Sheer fendering consists of 300mm D- rubber. “W” block type fendering is fitted at the stern.
Typical of Robert Allan Ltd. tug designs, significant noise and vibration reduction measures have been implemented throughout, including resiliently mounted main engines, resiliently mounted gensets and auxiliary engine, high attenuation engine exhaust silencer systems, ventilation intake air silencers, sound dampening deck treatments, and insulation measures. Measured noise levels were very impressive for a vessel with such a high power to weight ratio.
The vessel is outfitted with the following equipment:
- Two Caterpillar 3516C main diesels, each delivering 2,000 bkW at 1,600 RPM
- Two Rolls-Royce model US 255fixed pitch Z-drives
- wo CAT C 4.4 diesel gensets, each with a power output of 86 ekW at 1,500 RPM, 50 Hz
- MT Type TW-E 250KN electric double drum hawser winch with a pull of 250KN at 0-9m/min on low speed and80 KN at 0-28m/min on high speed
- FIFI ½ pumpset driven off the front of the port main engine. The pumpset delivers 1,200 m3/hr sea water to one 1,200 m3/hr water/foam remote operated monitor.
- Hidrolik tow hook
- Data Hidrolik aft capstan
On trials, the Turchia achieved over 13.2 knots free running speed.
ral.ca