Eastern signs contracts for two Z-drive tugs and an inland towboat

Eastern Shipbuilding Group announced that Suderman & Young Towing Company and Bay Houston Towing Company have each exercised options to build for one additional Z-drive tug. These two additional vessels brings the total to six new Robert Allan Ltd. (RAL) Z-Tech-class tugs at Eastern’s Panama City, Fla., facilities. This RAL design is the Z-Tech 2400.

G&H Towing Company, the operating company for Suderman & Young and Bay Houston, will provide onsite representation during the engineering, construction and delivery phases of these contracts. At delivery, G&H Towing will operate each vessel as it has in the past. G&H Towing operates an fleet of over 30 harbor tugs in the largest ports in the U.S. Gulf Coast with operations in the Texas ports of Houston, Galveston, Texas City, Corpus Christi and Freeport. G&H's fleet currently consists of eight Z-Tech tugs. 

Design and engineering of the 80'x38'3"x15'9" vessels will be done by Vancouver, B.C.-based RAL.  

Each new Z-Tech 2400 features the following:

Total horsepower: 5,150 hp @ 1,600 rpm
Main engines: Two Caterpillar 3516C (B rating) Tier 3 marine propulsion diesel engines
Main propulsion: Two Schottel SRP 1215FP in nozzles Z-drives
Main generators: Two John Deere 4045AFM85 Tier 399kW 480V @ 1,800 rpm marine diesel generator sets
Hawser winch: Markey Machinery Fairleader 50-hp Electric Hawser Winch, DEPCF-48S, 36”-wide drum Mid-drum brake holding capacity 300,000 lbs
Classification: ABS A1, Towing Vessel, AMS and Escort Service ABS Loadline (SoC), Statement of Compliance
Flag: USA

Eastern Shipbuilding also today yesterday announced that Mandeville, La.-based Florida Marine Transporters has signed an option contract for an additional 90’x32’x10’ Canal-class inland towboat.

In September, FMT signed the seventh vessel and this additional towboat brings the total to 62 vessels contracted. This series of towboats originally began with a 25-vessel contract starting in 2006. Three of the now seven towboats have been delivered to FMT since February 2014. This option vessel will be constructed from a design furnished by Boston-based Gilbert Associates.

Installed in each new vessel will be Tier 3 main propulsion engines and generators. The vessel is powered by two Caterpillar 3512C Tier 3 diesel engines rated at 1,500 hp at 1,600 rpm provided by Louisiana Power Systems. The reduction gears are direct coupled Twin-Disc MG-5600 with a 6.04:1 reduction supplied by Harvey, La.-based Sewart Supply. 

Electrical power is provided by two 99kW John Deere 4045AFM85 99-kw Tier 3 generator sets rated for 60 Hz, at 208 VAC provided by Kennedy Engine Company of Biloxi, Miss. These diesel engines comply with the current EPA/MARPOL control of emissions of nitrogen oxides from marine diesel engines.