Page 111: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 2016)

(Photo: Cummins/Alan Haig-Brown) (L to R) Lady Loren at launch in 2008; Russel Plaisance; Recent image of the Lady Loren.

towing pins aft. The bow has a 6,000 by 1,220

Lady Loren: m/m heavy duty roller with a Triplex guide pins,

Big Hours, Little Wear stopper and shark-jaws set up. The wooden deck

Russell Plaisance, president of Louisiana Car- has ? ushed-in container twist lock ? ttings for multiple container con? gurations. On request, riers, built the pusher-tug Lady Loren at Dickie

Adam’s Lockport Fabrication in 2008. At the the vessel can also be “plug&play” ? tted with launch, he explained that the boat was the re- a four-point mooring installation and hydraulic sult of ? ve years of planning and a lifetime of connections for LARS-ROV and diving support experience in the maritime world of the Gulf of operations. The vessel also has deck ? ttings both

Mexico. The 82 x 29-ft. Lady Loren was the sev- fore and aft to allow an a-frame for related jobs.

enth boat in the LA Carriers’ ? eet. “I keep my

On top of the above, this workhorse has a BV- certi? ed AM/AT dynamic positioning system, business diversi? ed,” Plaisance said. “We do $10 or 11 million gross per year including some busi- based in independent rudders and powerful tun- ness with the oil industry, but we do a little of nel thrusters fore and aft, which provides safety everything else as well. We barge pipe and we and versatility for an increasing number of works once even towed baseball dirt from Houston to in the current offshore support market. The ves-

Tampa Bay for spring training. This new boat has sel has been working on DP requiring projects a contract to tow corn syrup from Memphis to non-stop from delivery, with a proven record of

Tampa Bay.” station keeping capacity during support opera-

Jump ahead eight years, the corn syrup plant tions on dif? cult conditions, proving a remark- was converted to other products and that con- able DP plot. The vessel is also equipped with a tract disappeared. But their diversity has kept LA side-moonpool to assist survey operations with Carriers healthy even during the slump in the oil

GAPS. industry. The Lady Loren, with both towing and

With a speed of 10.8 knots, a pair of Cum- pushing capabilities, is currently engaged mov- mins QSK38-M diesels powers the “Aitana B” ing a pair of hopper barges on a run between producing 1381 bhp each at 1800 rpm. The en-

New Orleans and Tampa.

gines turn 1850 m/m ? xed-pitch propellers in

The Lady Loren is a triple screw tug powered nozzles. This provides a 35-ton certi? ed bollard by three Cummins QSK19-M3 diesels rated pull, which together with the towing-winch al- at 660 hp each to give a total of 1.980 hp. The lows the boat to provide reliable towing services. engines turn three 63 x 67-in. propellers in kort

In addition to the propulsion and rudder system, nozzles.

both thrusters mounted fore and aft, provide this “The engines had 36,000 hours on them so I vessel with increased maneuverability on close decided to rebuild the middle engine,” Plaisance quarters. said recently. “Without removing the engine, my crew, together with Cummins mechanics re-

Ultra Large Tug Alp Striker placed the shaft bearings, pistons and rods, heads

From Japan’s Niigata Shipbuilding & Repair, and injectors. When we looked at the wear on the

Inc. (NSR), fully owned by Mitsui Engineering parts that came out of the engine we realized that & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., comes the ? rst in four they could easily have given us another 4,000 of a series of ultra large, ultra powerful tugs. The hours with no risk of down time.” ? rst in line is dubbed Alp Striker, delivered to

As a result he feels con? dent in leaving the

Alp Striker BV (ship owning company of ALP rebuild of the two outside engines for another

Maritime Services BV, Netherlands ) in early year by which time they will have a remarkable

September 2016. Alp Striker is one of strongest 40,000 hours each. Crediting Cummins qual- and largest towing vessels in the world, able to ity Plaisance also has a very proactive service sail to a top speed of 19.16 knots, 13 knots in or- and maintenance program on the engines. Oil is dinal sailing and to tow 309.6 tons. Alp Striker is changed every 300 hours, and injectors adjusted able to tow large ? oating objects, such as FPSO, every 10,000 hours.

FLNG, RIG etc., for long distances (45 days non-

LA Carriers has changed some of the ? eet in the stop) and also work for anchor handling service. eight years since the Lady Loren was launched

To maintain this heavy workload, Alp Striker has and they have several different engine makes in been built to have class notations of Ice Class his seven-boat ? eet. Plaisance is unreserved in 1B, External Fire Fighting System Fi-Fi II, Dy- his praise for the Cummins engines. “In future, namic positioning System DP Class II. NSR is if I have to replace an engine in one of my other now building three more vessels and planning to tugs, it will be with Cummins,” he said. deliver all by 1Q of 2017.

By Alan Haig-Brown www.marinelink.com 111

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