This one is actually a AHTS, but has spent here first few months since delivery from China towing the same barge around for the Montara Project.
AHTS GO Acamar, 5150 Bhpp / 65 t. BP / Loa 57.8 m.:
The Pakarang view:
This one is actually a AHTS, but has spent here first few months since delivery from China towing the same barge around for the Montara Project.
AHTS GO Acamar, 5150 Bhpp / 65 t. BP / Loa 57.8 m.:
The Pakarang view:
And a near identical sister, Swiber Sandefjord, 5000 Bhp / 63 t.BP / 58.7 m.:
Some "action pictures"; Hooking up and ready to tow AWB Swiber Glorious from Singapore to the Kakap Field, Natuna Sea, Indonesia:
Tow line connected:
Gog arrangement installed:
The next size up is Britoil 41, 11,000 Bhp / 136 t. BP / Loa 60 m. Heading for Australia to tow an FPSO back to Singapore for upgrading:
Near Pakarang view:
The .... end view:
View of the deck from Wheel house:
The aft controls:
And the Fwrd. controls:
Now we get up into the big boat class. Tug "Rotterdam", ex. Smit Rotterdam, ex. Smitwijs Rotterdam, a grand old lady of Ocean Towage, built in Holland, 1975. 13,500 Bhp / 162 t. BP / Loa 75 m.:
Looking good for her age doesn't she?? But like most old ladies, with the help of some fresh paint and a face lift.
View of the deck from the new aft controls:
This is a true Oceangoing/Salvage TUG not a combined anything.
She was heading to India to tow a damaged rig from Mumbai to Dubai.
And finally, the "Super Tug" Fairmount Alpine, built in Japan in 2006, 16,000 Bhp / 200 t. BP / Loa 75 m.:
Getting ready to go to Korea for the tow of a large FPSO from there to Rio de Janeiro, via Cape together with her identical sister tug, Fairmount Expedition.
Colourful isn't she?:
The near Pakarang view:
Deck viewed from the Wheel house, aft controls:
And some interior pics from the Wheel House,
Aft controls and winch control panel:
Fwrd controls:
I have a lot more pics from these tugs, but that will have to wait for another day.
Thank you. Something new for my "favorites" folder.Originally Posted by ombugge
Now that is how I would paint a tug. You would see me coming.And finally, the "Super Tug" Fairmount Alpine, built in Japan in 2006, 16,000 Bhp / 200 t. BP / Loa 75 m.:
I notice that everything is written in English. In aviation English is the required language most everywhere in the world. Are ships also required to use English? Can many of the crew read the "safety first" signs?
In the March/April issue of Tug & Salvage there is an article about the grounding of the USS Port Royal, a 9'600 ton guided missle cruise. They mention that they dumped 40 tons of anchor and chain (later recovered from the sea floor). How much would 40 tons affect the draught of such a large ship? It seems hardley enough to be worth the effort.
Not so much the mean draft, but the trim would change quite a bit, thus the ground reaction that had to be overcome to pull her off the ground.
(I haven't read the article and don't know the details so this is a general comment only)
There is no law saying that you have to use English, only that safety signs has to be in a language (or languages) understood by the crew.
For all practical purposes that is mostly English, since the Officers and Crews on all these tugs are able to speak simple English, although nationalities are usually mixed, except where "Flag State", or "Shelf State" demands otherwise.
The Swiber Phoenix had an all Indonesian crew with limited English, therefore I recommended posting all safety signs in both English and Bahasa Indonesia, or use language neutral signs.
Only the OG Acamar had a native English speaking (all Australian) crew, as she had been working in Oz, but they were to be quickly replaced with others as the charter in Australia had ended.
Aussi unionized crews are the most expensive in the world and not used outside Oz, unless compensated for by the Charterer.
The "Super Tug" had a Ukrainian crew, incl. Master, (Only the Ch.Eng. was Dutch) while the Rotterdam had Dutch Master and senior officers, with mostly Filipino crew.
Now that you say it, it makes sense that 40 tons way forward in the chain locker could really stick the bow to the bottom.
During my teenage years, I used to have a plastic model of this tug. I think she had a sister also, Smit Rotterdam and .... ehhh... possibly Smit London.
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Yes there are four of them; Smit Rotterdam, Smit London, Smit New York and Smit Singapore (The last is newer and slightly different configuration)
there where 3 of them:
smit rotterdam
smit london
smit singapore
de smit rotterdam and london where the same
rotterdam build in 1974,london in 1975
two 4 tew9 cilinder stork-werkspoor engine's
2 propellers 22.000 hpk or 13.500 rpk=9.925kw
polepull 180 ton, 1 bow truster, 16 knots actieradius 17.000 mile
used for tug,salvage and as a firefighter (please give me the right name)
the smit singapore is build in 1983 is the same as the other two ,but is also for anchor handling
the smit new york was another type, smaller in size aswel in power,and she had a sister, the smit houston.
both build in 1976, two 4tew 6 cilinder stork werkspoor engines ,2 propellers,
16.000 hpk or 9.350 rpk = 6.875kw,polepull 125ton 1 bow truster,16 knots,
actieradius 19.000 mile,used as tug ,salvage and as a firefighter (please give me the right name)
i don't know wich year but the ''houston'' is sold to greenpeace and renamed to ''solo'' ,greenpeace sold her to the dutch coastguard and is renamed in ''waker''
Last edited by janihudi; 21st November 2009 at 11:47.
I just inspected the Rotterdam a few days ago and has worked with all of the above tugs at some time or another, from they were new 35 years ago.
Rotterdam and London are as you say true sister ships, both delivered in 1975(keel laid 1974). while the Singapore is a bit newer, built in 1984 and with an open stern for anchor handling, otherwise the same. Loa 75 m.
They have the same Stork diesel engines. The R'dam and London has 13,500 Bhp /162 m.t Continuous Bollard Pull, (167 m.t. Max. BP) while the S'pore gets a little more out of the same engines for the same fuel consumption. (175 t. Max. BP)
The 22,000 HP is "Indicated Horse Power" and the 180 tons BP is Short Tons. Both terms are adapted from USA and used as a sales gimmick, especially towards the Oil Companies.
The New York and Houston are, as you say, smaller in size, (Loa 67.5 m.) but the same basic hull shape and arrangement as their bigger sisters.
The engines are Stork, but with less power (2 x 4,600 Bhp) Bollard pull is approx. 115 m.t Continuous and approx is 120 m.t. Maximum as far as a can recall.
The Houston was sold to Greenpeace in 2000 and converted for their purpose, incl. changing to burning Diesel Oil in stead of IFO. She became too expensive to operate and was sold back to a consortium of Smt, Wijsmuller and ITC and converted to a Coast Guard Tug in 2005. She was stationed at Den Helder, ready to tow fully loaded VLCCs with engine problems, if necessary. Here is a rendering of her in Coast Guard colours:
She suffered a fire in the Engine Room earlier this year and has now been sold for scrap.
Here is a couple of pics from the fire:
I hate to see black smoke pouring from a ship. It is never a good sign.
i don''t know how much her damage was,but get the idee that when a ship was in fire,the first thing to do is whriting her of.
she isn't that old,she was still in service and it is a member of the smit herritage.
but it is sad to se her like that.
She has been declared a CTL and is already sold for scrap.
"svitzer medemblik"
"fairplay 22"
"fairplay xvi"
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