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US Shipyard drydocks first Z-drive tractor tug
Stevens Towing Shipyard drydocked its first Z-drive tractor tug in Q1 2024, as part of a programme of maintenance and repair at the US East Coast facility
McAllister Towing’s 33-m tugboat, 1969-built Beth M McAllister, required steel repairs, blasting, new pipework, accommodation upgrades, paintwork and an ABS inspection in February and March.
It was one of 10 tugboats, towboats and pusher vessels drydocked in Q1 2024 at the facility near Hollywood, South Carolina.
The Z-drive tugboat, with a beam of 9 m, two Schottel rudderpropeller (SRP) 1010 thrusters and two Caterpillar 3512 main engines, was hauled out of the water using a 820-tonne marine travel lift, moved to the north-yard location, then blocked up on its keel and chine.
This vessel was pressure washed, voids were cleaned and gas freed, and floor coverage was laid throughout vessel.
“From there, we moved forward with the blasting portion of the project,” said Stevens Towing Shipyard. “Blasting and painting included bulwarks, decks, freeboard, house and underwater hull.”
In parallel to the blasting, the shipyard was hired to remove and replace D-shaped rubber and tyre fendering through the length of the vessel.
After blasting, steel repairs were done to the bottom shell plating in the engineroom, bulwark and fendering piping replacement, internals throughout voids and overhead inserts on the wheelhouse.
“Additional projects included replacing galley flooring, repairing an oven, replacing the prop liner and seal, renewing anodes and renewing transducers,” said Stevens Towing Shipyard.
Once this is completed, ABS and the US Coast Guard will complete inspections and the Z-drive tractor tug could be relaunched in April.
Beth M McAllister, with a 4-m draught, was repowered in 2003 with 2,240 kW of power and has 43 tonnes of bollard pull for assisting ships in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Also in Q1 2024, the shipyard drydocked four push boats, four oceangoing tugs, a truckable tug and a ship-docking tug, plus two dredgers, six passenger vessels, two deck barges, a derrick barge, a trawler and a casino vessel.
Stevens Towing said its tug and barge fleet was busy during Q1 2024 with numerous spot market moves and dredge tows, while also completing several project cargo shipments.
It expects strong business during the rest of 2024 due to a shortage of available marine equipment, project extensions, construction delays and rising demand for moving break-bulk cargoes via container ships.
The 27th International Tug & Salvage Convention, Exhibition & Awards will be held in association with Caterpillar in Dubai, UAE, 21-23 May 2024. Use this link for more details of this industry event and the associated social and networking opportunities
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