Bisso's New Tractor Tug to Enter Service This Spring

A new tugboat is slated to enter service for Bisso Towboat this Spring.

The Luling, La. based marine towage provider has been working with Main Iron Works to update its fleet, replacing a conventional tug with a tractor tug about every 18 months. In late 2022, the Houma, La. shipbuilder began building a new tractor tug Mr. Brian—the sixth azimuth stern drive (ASD) tractor tug built by Main Iron Works for Bisso in the past eight years.

Named after Bisso’s vice president of operations Brian Cyprowski, the newbuild will further enhance Bisso’s operation of the largest fleet of ASD tractor tugs to serve the Mississippi River ship-assist trade. Bisso's fleet of 12 boats, including nine tractor tugs and three conventional tugs, escort ships and perform various tasks between Baton Rouge and the mouth of the Mississippi River.

When selecting the engine for the Mr. Brian, the Bisso team looked at many different factors. Bisso currently has 16 Cat engines in use across its fleet—18 with the completion of Mr. Brian, including 3512 and C4.4 engines—so the company knew Cat engines from dealer Louisiana Cat would meet the vessel's reliability, durability and power demands. “We looked at horsepower, river currents, managing loads, maneuverability and fuel burns,” said Dino Novic, Bisso’s vice president of engineering. “The Cat 3516E made the most sense for us.”

Mr. Brian is Bisso’s third Cat Tier 4-powered boat. Bisso’s Cat 3516E diesel engines can maintain a continuous rating of 1,865 kW (2,500 hp) at 1,600 rpm. It is designed for applications that require continuous heavy-duty service and can be operated at maximum power and speed up to 100% of the time without interruption or load cycling. “With recommended preventative maintenance we have experienced far less issues with our Cat engines over time, compared to some other engines,” Novic said.

The two two Caterpillar 3516E Tier 4F main propulsion engines drive a pair of Kongsberg US205S azimuthing thrusters with 2,400 mm diameter stainless steel propellers in stainless steel nozzles. Estimated bollard pull is 66 tons.

Other onboard equipment includes a JonRie Series 240 escort winch, Caterpillar C4.4 118 KW generator sets and a full complement of safety, monitoring and electronic equipment. Tankage includes capacities for 30,162 gallons of diesel fuel, 1,442 gallons of lube oil, 1,442 gallons of hydraulic oil, 2,000 gallons of DEF and 9,538 gallons of potable water.

Novic noted that every boat Bisso produces gets better with the help of his team and vendor partnerships. Performance, comfort and practicality improve continuously. He not only wants the boat to look good but also needs it to be as practical as possible. The crew gives him valuable feedback from their on board, and Novic shares that information with his design team, Main Iron Works and Louisiana Cat.

For Novic, the process of upgrading a boat while keeping the efficiency and flow of the boat intact is important. “There have been situations where it’s taken my team additional time just to clear obstructions out of the way to get to a certain part and that adds up to more downtime,” he explained. “That is why right hull design is so important me, I want to be able to get to any part quickly and do the repair in minimum time. We really like our hull design and the whole interior. The living quarters, galley, wheelhouse, engine room—it’s all beautifully laid out so that everyone can comfortably work and live. Louisiana Cat collaborated with us to find the right fit for our existing hull.”