A New Era for Z-Tech® Tugs
June 20, 2017
In late May 2017, Houston Texas based Bay-Houston Towing Co. and Suderman & Young Towing Company awarded construction contracts to Gulf Island Shipyards, LLC for four Z-Tech® 30-80 class terminal/escort tugboats for each company. Robert Allan Ltd. of Vancouver, BC was retained to provide the design. Under a separate contract with Gulf Island Shipyards, LLC, Robert Allan Ltd. will be carrying out the production design that includes steel parts, nesting, outfitting, piping arrangement and spools, etc.
The newly developed Z-Tech® 30-80 class introduces characteristics from the high-performance RAstar series, expanding the operational duties from its established role as primarily a port/terminal ship-handling design to include escort duties. With sponsons designed to suit the Z-Tech® hull form, CFD simulations demonstrate escort capability of the Z-Tech® 30-80 will increase by 15% comparison to the original Z-Tech® design that has already proven its excellent escort performance in harbour areas worldwide.
Tug design and construction will satisfy all applicable rules and regulations of ABS for escort service tug and USCG Subchapter M with the first two tugs in the series also having ABS Fire Fighting Vessel Class 1 notation.
The powerful Caterpillar 3516E (EPA Tier4) engines married with Schottel SRP 510 Z-drive units will allow the tug to generate bollard pull of 80 metric tonnes and a minimum speed of 13 knots.
Suderman & Young Towing Company, Bay-Houston Towing Co., and Robert Allan Ltd. have enjoyed a fruitful working cooperation for more than 10 years bringing ten Z-Tech® 24-60 and eight Z-Tech® 30-75 tugboats into operation in the US. Six other Z-Tech‘s® are also in service with the US Navy.
For more information on the Z-Tech® 30-80 or the Z-Tech® designs, or on any other high-performance vessel designs developed by Robert Allan Ltd., please contact design@ral.ca.
