'Tina' Is A Happy Blend Of Innovations And Proven Designs

Wilmington Launch Service, Wilmington, Del., has placed in service the new 65-foot shipdocking tug, Tina, which can create controlled thrust while pushing or hauling, fore and aft, even sidestepping, with only one man on deck.

This capability is the result of several design innovations. The hull has a flat afterbody above two fully rotatable, high-thrust units with nozzles placed outboard and well aft. A fin keel amidships provides directional stability, yet permits the tug to turn completely around three times in one minute.

From the pilothouse, the captain can see 360 degrees, as well as upward, while dual controls permit easy maneuvering while going forward or astern. On deck, access hatches allow easy repair or replacement of the propulsion units Vertically layered rubber fenders grip a steel hull like fingers, maintaining tight control yet easy disengagement with very little abrasion Two GM Detroit Diesel 16V-71N engines generate 1,070 hp, and are splayed 15 degrees off center almost amidships, thus allowing the right-angled propulsion units to be set well outboard.

Careful attention to electrical requirements, engine cooling capacity, hydraulic assists on capstans, all combine to make this new tug, designed and built by Gladding- Hearn Shipbuilding Corporation, Somerset, Mass., a major new addition to innovative tug design technology. Established over 22 years ago, Gladding-Hearn builds steel and aluminum workboats from 25 to 100 feet overall, for both domestic and international uses

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