Robert Allan Designed Tug Delivered to Ocean Group

On October 28th, 2016 the Ocean Group Inc. of Quebec City, Canada took delivery of the 6000 kW ASD tug Ocean Taiga. This icebreaking escort tug joins her sister Ocean Tundra as some of the most powerful tugs in the Canadian registry, part of a new generation of extremely capable tugs, which will provide the highest degree of year-round escort towing capability to Canada’s East Coast and the St. Lawrence Seaway.

The Ocean Taiga is the latest addition and a sister tug of the previously delivered Ocean Tundra to the TundRA 3600 series (with a nominal 100 tonnes Bollard Pull) of icebreaking tugs designed by Robert Allan Ltd., Naval Architects of Vancouver B.C. This tug was built to the highest standards at Ocean’s own shipyard, Ocean Industries, on Iles aux Coudres, Quebec. The launching of this heavy tug was a major challenge for the shipyard, due to its heavy weight and draft.

This powerful tug will provide a wide range of services, including tanker escort, terminal support, general ship-docking operations and icebreaking/ice-management services in various ports along the St. Lawrence River. The vessel is also equipped for coastal/rescue towing and is equipped with a major fire-fighting capability. In addition, the vessel is equipped to carry lube oil as cargo, for transfer to transiting ships.

The tug was built under the inspection of and classed by Lloyd’s Register of Shipping, with the following notation:

✠ 100 A1 Escort Tug, Fire-Fighting 1 with water spray
✠ LMC, UMS
Ice Class 1AS FS

Particulars of the Ocean Taiga are as follows:

Length overall:                             36.0 m
Beam, moulded, extreme:             13.0 m
Depth, moulded (hull):                    6.85 m
Maximum draft (DWL):                   6.80 m

Tank capacities are:

Fuel Oil:                                        294 m³
Fresh Water:                                   18 m³
Foam:                                             11 m³
Z-drive Oil:                                       1.7 m³
Sludge:                                            5.4 m³
Oily Water:                                       5.4 m³
Main engine lube oil:                         6.0 m³
Sewage:                                           7.6 m³
Cargo Lube Oil:                             130 m³

The trials of this powerful tug were completed in August, 2016 with the following impressive results:

Bollard Pull, ahead:                        Over 110 tonnes
Free Running speed, ahead:                   14.2 knots, calm water
Escort Steering Force (Predicted):           86 tonnes at 10 knots
Range at 12 knots:                               3700 nautical miles

This icebreaking hull form has been extensively model-tested to ensure superior performance in ice, as well as to provide the best possible open water and escort performance, bearing in mind the contradictory hull geometry requirements of those functions. The ice capabilities have been well demonstrated in similar slightly smaller tugs working in Sakhalin, Russia.

 

This icebreaking hull form has been extensively model-tested to ensure superior performance in ice, as well as to provide the best possible open water and escort performance, bearing in mind the contradictory hull geometry