Page 8: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (May 1994)

Trinity Delivers Second

Cycloidal Tractor Tug;

Launches Casino Boat

Built by Trinity's Halter Marine, this new Foss tug features Voith-Schneider cycloidal propulsion.

Trinity Industries Inc.'s subsid- iary Halter Marine has been busy, delivering the Garth Foss—the sec- ond of two 155-foot (47.3-m), 8,000- hp enhanced tractor tugs equipped with cycloidal propulsion units— and launching theFlamingo Hilton, a 245-foot (74.7-m), 1,500-passen- ger riverboat casino.

Voith-Schneider Powers Tug

The Garth Foss was delivered to

Foss Maritime of Seattle, an^ preceded in November by an identi- cal sistership, the Lindsey Foss.

The tugs, reportedly the world's largest and most powerful, are fit- ted with Voith-Schneider cycloidal propulsion units. The Garth Foss will work for BP Oil Shipping Co. escorting tankers in the Straits of

Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound.

The Lindsey Foss is already work- ing for Arco Marine, performing

Garth Foss

Equipment List

Main engines EMD

PropulsionVoith Schneider cycloidal propellers

Winch/Anchor windlass.... Markey

Towline hold down ... Nordic Machine

Radars Decca

Depth sounders Ross

VHF radios SEA

UHF radio Motorola

SSB SEA

GPS Trimble

Weather fax Furuno

Autopilot Sperry

Gyro compass Sperry

Compass Plath similar tasks.

The Voith-Schneider cycloidal propulsion system consists of two sets of five vertically oriented blades installed ahead of the tug's center.

The system gives the tug 360° ma- neuverability and great ability to steer and stop tankers in the event of an emergency.

Foss Design Team primarily per- formed the design work for the two tugs.

Glosten Associates, Inc., a Seattle- based naval architectural firm, pro- vided a contract design and prepared plans and specifications. Detailed design work was conducted by Trin- ity under Foss supervision, with additional assistance from Glosten.

Foss selected tractor tugs equipped with cycloidal propulsion because of the need to provide high speed (12 knots plus), safe escort, and retardation and steering forces for loaded tankers during rough, open-water conditions. "Cycloidal propulsion is relatively new to U.S. shipyards, but not to

Trinity shipyards," said John Dane

III, president of the Trinity Marine

Group.

Technical details of the vessels were recently presented by Steve T.

Scalzo, senior vice president of Foss

Maritime, at the Royal Institution of

Naval Architects in London. He said the nearly double-ended hulls have a pronounced shear to keep the decks dry, and a substantial shear strake to provide a foundation and bearing surface for fendering and bulwarks.

The bulwarks were moved inward and canted inward to reduce con- tact with the vessel being assisted.

The superstructure was also kept well inboard to minimize the possi- bility of contact with the vessel be- ing assisted, as well as all deck ma- chinery, particularly in an obstruc- tion-free zone at the stern.

The Voith-Schneider unit is driven by a pair of General Motors

EMD ME 16-710-G7A diesels rated at 4,000-hp each turning through propulsion unit reduction gears. A turbo coupling between the engine and reduction gear replaces a clutch.

The 475-grt vessel has a running

Halter Marine Inc. also launched the 245-foot (74.7-m) Flamingo

Hilton, a 1,500-passenger riverboat casino for the Hilton Hotels Corp.,

Gaming Division, located in Kansas

City, Mo. Delivery of the Cummins- powered vessel is scheduled for May 26. The Flamingo Hilton is similar to, but not identical to the Queen of

New Orleans, a riverboat casino de- livered to the Hilton New Orleans

Corp. and New Orleans

Paddlewheels in February. TheF/a- mingo Hilton has increased horse- power (its Cummins KTA-38M die- sel engines develop a total of 1,880 hp) and larger shafts and propel- lers. She also has more hydraulic power and larger rudders moved closer to the stern for increased ma- neuverability. Electrical power for the ship's hundreds of gaming devices, as well as the air condition- speed of 14.5 knots, and carries 83,700 gallons of diesel fuel, 2,400 gallons of lube oil and 4,000 gallons of fresh water.

A 345-sq.-ft. skeg at the stern helps the tug to steer and stop a moving tanker.

A tractor tug fastened to a ship is operated stern first, and can shear off at an angle using the skeg in combination to produce steering and stopping forces greatly in excess of the tug's static bollard pull.

The tugs feature second genera- tion winches with high braking ca- pacity and fast line recovery. ing and heating, is provided by three

Onan generators driven by

Cummins diesel engines developing 2,145 kW. The paddlewheel is driven by two 200-hp electric motors, for a total of 400 hp, and maneuverabil- ity is aided by a 400-hp Schottel bowthruster.

For additional information on the vessel building capabilities of Trin- ity Marine Group,

Circle 2 on Reader Service Card

FLAMINGO HILTON

Equipment List

Main engines Cummins

Bow thruster Schottel

Generator engines Cummins

Generator Stamford

Emergency generator Cummins

Deck machinery McElroy

Propellers Bird-Johnson

Reduction gears Reintjes

Coatings Ameron

Couplings Lo-Rez

VHF radios Motorola

Radar Furuno

Air conditioning Carrier

Engine controls Mathers

Steering Controls Custom Hydraulic

Motor starters Ingersoll-Rand

Shafting Scott Forge/Trinity Lockport

Pumps Aurora

Firefighting Hiller

Pictured is a diagram of a tractor tug with Voith-Schneider cycloidal propulsion. The

Voith-Schneider tractor tug configuration entails specific features, including: • a propulsion and steering system freely arranged underneath the vessel's hull at one end of the vessel, • a keel plate underneath the freely arranged propulsion and steering device protecting the units against groundings and contacts with other vessels or obstacles in all directions, • towing gear above the fin, specifically adapted to individual local operation conditions, • clear pushing direction with fin first and clear pulling direction with propeller forward, and, • all around visibility from the steering house.

For more information on Voith-Schneider,

Circle 6 on Reader Service Card

The 1,500-passenger Flamingo Hilton riverboat casino vessel was recently launched at TMG's

Halter Marine 10

Launching Of The Flamingo Hilton

Maritime Reporter/Engineering News