Seaspan Adds Two More KTA38s

With a little over a month and several hundred hours on the KTA38 engines of the newly built Seaspan Tempest and Seaspan Venture, British Columbia’s largest towing company, Seaspan International has installed another pair of Cummins KTA38s in their 83-ft. (25.3-m) tug Seaspan Cavalier.

The Cavalier is one of four in its class, the others are the Seaspan Cutlass, Seaspan Crusader and Seaspan Corsair. Built in 1975 at Vancouver Shipyards, the Cavalier returned to the same yard, an associated company with Seaspan, for the installation of the new engines. These are the third set of engines for the 27-year-old tug, but the first Cummins.

With the two engines at a continuous duty rating of 800 hp each, the tug will have a combined 1,600 hp turning its three-blade 79.37-in. propellers in Kort nozzles. The existing massive Lufkin Model RS3614 gears with their 6.987:1 reduction were retained. New gauges and controls were installed. The boat carries 18,000 Imperial (21,617 US) gallons of fuel, 320 gallons of lube oil and 2,500 Imperial gallons of fresh water. A single drum Burrard towing winch is mounted on the aft deck with 1,800 ft. (549 m) of 1 3/4-inch (44.45 mm) wire. The Seaspan Cavalier typically tows wood chip and fuel barges in inside waters but makes some trips to places such as Port Alice on the outside of Vancouver Island. The installation was simplified by cutting a large section (about 10 x12 ft.) from the tug’s starboard side. The port side engine was then installed, followed by the starboard engine. Given the relatively small size of the modern engines, the job was completed in relatively short order and the tug is expected back in service by late September.