Monitoring tugboat operations can maximise vessel availability and service quality
A US-based towage company is testing remote monitoring technology on a tugboat to reduce downtime and improve onboard maintenance.
Norfolk Tug Co is using Reygar’s BareFleet tool on tug Jack Holland. BareFleet is integrated with the existing IDEA SBA fleet management and maintenance logging system on this tug.
It provides information the US Waterways Transportation subsidiary can use to prevent failures on the tug during operations on the Atlantic Coast.
BareFleet and IDEA SBA together act as a pre-emptive, preventative maintenance system. Combined, they use measured health information to trigger maintenance actions and warnings to the crew.
Norfolk Tug’s onshore operational team also receive this information and can assist onboard crew to conduct maintenance.
“Advanced monitoring will allow these companies to get the most out of their fleet, drive operational improvements and support commercial advancement,” said Reygar engineering director Chris Huxley-Reynard.
“Critically for operators of smaller, diverse vessels, this can now be done in a cost-effective way across the entire fleet.” BareFleet removes the barriers towage companies face for deploying advanced vessel monitoring.
“These firms are now able to take advantage of operational insight previously only available to operators of larger vessels,” he said.
1984-built Jack Holland has two Cummins KTA-38M main engines, two John Deere 4045TFM75 generators and Twin Disk MG540 6.18:1 gears.
In the wheelhouse, it has two Furuno radar, depth monitor and GPS, a Rose Point plotter, Icom radio and Simrad autopilot.
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