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Ship Docking Modules (SDM) at its

Lockport, La. shipyard for Hvide

Marine, Inc. The new tugs, designated

SDM Mark II, follow the three original

Halter-built SDMs, New River, St.

Johns and Escambia. Two of the new vessels, Suwanee River and Peace River, are scheduled for delivery in 1999, and

Kissimmee River, the third Mark II, will be delivered in 2000.

The patented, double-ended 90 ft. x 50 ft. (27.4 m x 15 m) SDM design, which requires only two crew members to operate, was conceived by Erik Hvide, chairman and president of Hvide Marine and refined by the Elliot Bay Design

Group, Seattle, Wash. The design is crit- ical to maneuvering large ships in and out of narrow ports and harbors.

The revolutionary harbor tugs have skegs mounted on centerline at each end, and Z-Drives mounted diagonally offset 6.5 ft. from the center to provide 100 percent of their bollard pull in any direction. The immediate success of the first innovative "flying saucer shaped" vessels and the experience gained from their operations led to the new order and a few design and propulsion changes which include: An expected increase in bollard pull from 110,000 pounds to 125,000 pounds by using two Wartsila 9L20, 2,000 HP diesel engines driving two Ulstein Z-Drives turning 94.5 in. diameter Nibral propellers in nozzles.

The first generation SDMs are powered by Caterpillar 3516BTA diesels driving two Ulstein Z-Drives turning 86 inch diameter propellers in nozzles. An

Aquapilot engine control system will monitor the main engines. Ship's service power will be provided by two 65 kW

Caterpillar 3306 generator sets.

Fendering on the first three vessels is a single-loop Schuyler Rubber design and the Mark II's will be equipped with

Schuyler's multi-loop design.

Halter To Convert Bouchard

Barge, Tug To ITB Unit

Halter Marine, Inc., has signed a con- tract with Bouchard Transportation Co.,

Inc. of Hicksville, N.Y. to convert a 446- ft. single hulled, ocean-going petroleum tank barge (B. No. 155) to a double hull to meet the requirements of the Oil

Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90). The contract also includes options for simi- lar conversions of two additional pairs of sister vessels, all of which were con- structed at Halter shipyards.

The barge's conversion will be accom- plished through the addition of an out- side hull. As a result, the barge's dimen- sions of 446 ft. x 74 ft. x 32.5 ft. (136 m x 22.5 m x 10 m) will be increased to 468 ft. x 85.5 ft. x 38 ft. (142.6 m x 26 m x 11.6 m) and ocean load line capaci- ty will increase from 125,000 barrels of residual fuel oil to 158,000 barrels with segregated ballast. Halter will also install an Intercon connection system on the barge and the 127-ft. tug "M/V

Buster Bouchard" to convert both ves- sels into an integrated tug/barge config- uration. The system eliminates tow wires between the tug and barge as the tug is firmly connected to the barge by a pair of 50-in. diameter rams projecting from both sides of the tug which lock into receptacles on each side of a "notch" at the stern of the barge.

Circle 105 on Reader Service Card

OFFSHORE CRANES

SCHILLER INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, 101 Eaton St, Suite 300

Hampton, VA 23669

Telephone (757) 727-0700, Fax (757) 727-0993

Circle 253 on Reader Service Card

Circle 208 on Reader Service Card

Sailed any uncharted waters lately? nm s • & ®f ••••'.'s

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March, 1999 65