Page 50: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (January 2016)

VESSELS

New Fleet

Granite Point is Capable and Quiet

Fast Crew Supplier

Crew Comfort, Noise Control Tops Feature List on Granite Point for P&O Repasa idewater Transportation and Ter- minals marked delivery of the

Tsecond of a series of three tow- boats, the Granite Point, a boat that will be deployed in Tidewater’s Columbia &

Snake River Service in January 2016.

Damen

The vessel was built by Portland’s Vigor shipyard and follows towboat Crown

P&O Repasa, a new company formed

Point, which began operations along the last year by the acquisition of the ma-

Columbia Snake River (CSR) in May jority of the shares in Spanish towage 2015. Like the Crown Point, the Granite ? rm Repasa by P&O Maritime, has

Point is a custom-built, environmental- taken delivery of one Damen Fast ly-friendly towboat that was speci? cally

Crew Supplier 5009. The vessel will designed by CT Marine, Naval Archi- be operated from Malabo on Bioko tects and Marine Engineers of Edge-

Island, Equatorial Guinea. Red Eagle comb, Maine.

will ferry personnel and equipment, “Granite Point performed exactly as and supply drinking water and fuel, we wanted it to during its river trials to offshore rigs and platforms.

(Photo: Tidewater Transportation & Terminals) earlier this month,” said Marc Schwartz,

Built for stock at Damen’s partner

Maintenance & Engineering Manager at depends on their level of endurance,” tive wheelhouse and mindful accommo-

Song Thu Shipyard in Vietnam, short- said Bruce Reed, Chief Operations Of- dations. Due to the unique challenges of

Tidewater. “We are ready for the Gran- ly after the contract was signed the ite Point to team up with Tidewater’s ? cer and Vice President of Tidewater. maneuvering barges through swift-mov- 50-m FCS 5009 was moved to Damen current ? eet of 16 towboats to provide “The responsibility for maintaining a ing currents, high winds and eight navi-

Shipyards Singapore where she was our customers with the highest quality high level of crew endurance rests with gation locks along the CSR System, CT customized to meet P&O Repasa’s us. Therefore, all three towboats in- Marine designed an enhanced steering river transportation.” speci? c needs. Special features have corporate a comprehensive sound and system utilizing four main steering and

Named Granite Point for the gran- been added such as FiFi1, a hydraulic ite cliff in Washington, about 20 miles vibration control package designed by four ? anking rudders. Couple the steer- crane and reefer plugs. Furthermore, southwest of Pullman along the Snake Noise Control Engineers of Billerica, ing system with two Caterpillar 3516C a fast rescue craft has been mounted

River, the towboat was built to the same Mass. The noise levels register at less Tier 3 engines, the design team was able on a davit for rapid launch and re- speci? cations as the Crown Point and than 60 decibels in the quarters during to increase the margins of safety and ef- covery along with transfer pumps for the forthcoming sister vessel, the Ryan vessel operation, which is equivalent to ? ciency. “The Granite Point can ‘get up the supply of fuel and drinking water.

Point. Measuring 102 x 38 ft., with the sound of an air conditioner.” and go’,” sadi Josh Nichols, Assistant

While the FCS 5009 class can take up

Brian Fletcher, Tidewater Port Captain Port Captain, “but there is an ease and a depth at full load of 11 ft., Granite to 80 personnel, the Red Eagle has

Point features a hexagonal wheelhouse who piloted the Granite Point through steadiness to it.” been con? gured for 50.

with ? oor-to-ceiling windows on all six river trials, conveys, “When you are in Tidewater and its collaborative part-

Following the works in Singapore, sides. The hexagonal design continues the wheelhouse, which is three decks ners spent a great deal of time conceiv- it sailed 7,000 nm nonstop across the to the main deck, which consists of a above the engines, you would really ing and engineering the plans used for

Indian Ocean to Damen Shipyards galley with all the comforts of home, a need to concentrate to hear the engines all three vessels – two years in all. “The

Cape Town on her own hull in 20 at all. You couldn’t ask for a quieter tug, up-front work paid off,” says Bob Cur- media room and a health and ? tness fa- days, where she had a short bunker nor a better tug in tight situations. It cio, Tidewater CEO. “The vessels are cility. “Tidewater understands the abil- stop and underwent ? nal preparations ity of our crewmembers to cope with turns on a dime.” fuel-ef? cient, ecologically-responsible, before sailing the ? nal 2,400 nm to

CT Marine’s towboat design on the and are giving our captains and crews operational risk factors, like frequent

Bioko Island to begin work immedi- sleep disruptions and heavy workloads, Granite Point goes beyond the distinc- exactly what they’d asked for.” ately.

The new P&O Repasa has plans for expansion. The original Repasa fo- cused on towage operations, but in

Bollinger Delivers USCG’s 16th FRC its new form is looking to expand into fast intervention for the off-

Bollinger Shipyards delivered Fast Response Cutter (FRC) Winslow shore industry in areas including the

Griesser for the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) seventh district in Puer- west coast of Africa. To succeed, this to Rico. USCG took delivery on December 23, 2015 in Key West, strategy requires dependable partners

Fla., and is scheduled to commission the vessel in Puerto Rico during and a modern ? eet, and these factors

March, 2016. The 154-ft. patrol craft is the 16th vessel in the USCG’s played an important role in winning

Sentinel-class FRC program. To build the FRC, Bollinger used an in- the contract with Marathon Oil.

service parent craft design based on the Damen Stan Patrol Boat 4708.

It has a ? ank speed of 28 knots.

(Photo: Bollinger Shiyards) 50 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • JANUARY 2016

MR #1 (50-57).indd 50 1/10/2016 11:02:13 PM