Signet Maritime has taken delivery of its ninth technologically advanced ASD tug in less than four years. The Signet Vigilant was constructed at Signet Shipbuilding & Repair, Pascagoula, Miss. The 30-MT bollard pull, EPA Tier 3 compliant, ASD vessel, delivered in the fourth quarter 2014, is the first Castleman Maritime design for Signet. The new tug will operate from Signet’s Pascagoula Division, where she will perform rig escort, ship assist and barge assist work.
The Signet Vigilant's compact design will allow Signet operators improved capabilities to assist marine vessels in tight quarters and shallow inland waterways. The environmentally friendly tug will have reduced exhaust and lower fuel consumption to meet EPA Tier 3 marine emission regulations.
The 72'x28' Signet Vigilant is powered by two MTU 8V-4000 M54 Tier 3 engines delivering a combined total of 2,400-hp at 1,800 rpm. The engines drive two Rolls-Royce US 155 P12-FP azimuth propulsion units. Electrical power is provided by two John Deere 4045AFM85 EPA Tier 3 engines coupled to 65-kW Marathon Magnaplus generators. Deck machinery includes a Markey DEPC-32, 20-hp winch on the bow, and two Patterson WWP40E 40-ton facing winches on the stern. The hawser winch capacity is 525' of 6.5"-cir. Saturn 12 synthetic line.
Capt. Mark Sutera, vessel master of the new Signet tug said, “The Signet Vigilant exhibits strength in areas of maneuverability and size. The vessel performs multidisciplinary work ranging from docking large tankers, drilling rigs, and ATBs, to shifting barges. The lean dimensions allow her to maneuver in tight quarters without compromising the job. She is outfitted with state-of-the-art navigation equipment and first-class accommodations for the captain and crew. While working in the Port of Pascagoula, the bar pilots favor the Signet Vigilant for her strength and specific capabilities.”
The Signet Vigilant is named after Vigilant, the victorious U.S. defender of the eighth America’s Cup in 1893. This vessel was designed, built and skippered by Nathanael Greene Herreshoff and was the first of his five victorious America’s Cup defender designs.
