RAmparts 2500-CL Ship handling Tug Hinewai Arrives in Her Home Port in New Zealand

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RAmparts 2500-CL Ship handling Tug Hinewai Arrives in Her Home Port in New Zealand

Hinewai, a RAmparts 2500-CL ship handling tug, arrived in her home port of Timaru on the South Island of New Zealand on January 11th after a 30-day voyage on her own bottom from China. The vessel will soon commence operations for PrimePort Timaru Ltd who are the first owners of a vessel built to this modern ship handling tug design.

The RAmparts 2500-CL tug is an evolution of Robert Allan Ltd.’s highly successful RAmparts 2500-W design with additional updates for the marketing objectives of the builder, Cheoy Lee Shipyards of Hong Kong. The hull and skeg of the RAmparts 2500-CL have evolved to provide improved manoeuvring and side-stepping capabilities. As with all RAmparts series vessels, the hull has been optimized for maximum thrust and bollard pull, while maintaining excellent maneuvering and sea-keeping. A half-raised forecastle deck helps to keep the working deck safe and dry, while a gently rounded deck line in plan ensures the tug can safely and easily come alongside and distance itself from an escorted ship at speed. Most importantly, the characteristic double chine stern unique to Robert Allan Ltd. designs ensures that the tug can run astern at high speeds and maintain good control, directional stability and a dry working deck.

The new design is highly flexible allowing for a multitude of powering options, deck machinery arrangements, and outfitting choices such as off-ship firefighting. Hinewai has been outfitted to PrimePort’s requirements with a split drum winch and dual aperture staple on the foredeck, a towing hook and deck crane on the aft deck, and a propulsion system delivering in excess of 60 tonnes bollard pull.

The Hinewai was designed and constructed to Lloyd’s Register rules with the following notation:

✠100A1 Tug, ✠LMC, ✠UMS, IWS

Particulars of the RAmparts 2500-CL tugs are:

  • Length overall: 25.4
  • Beam, moulded, extreme: 11.8
  • Depth, moulded (hull): 4.60
  • Maximum draft: 5.05

Tank capacities are:

  • Fuel oil: 92 m3
  • Potable water: 11 m3
  • Lube oil: 3.6 m3
  • Hydraulic oil: 0.7 m3
  • Oily water: 3.8 m3
  • Sewage tank: 2.7 m3
  • Grey water: 2.7 m3

The vessel’s accommodations are outfitted to high, MLC compliant standards for a normal operating crew of up to 8 personnel. The Master and Chief Engineer cabins are located on the main deck with three double crew cabins located in the lower accommodations.

Main propulsion for the tug comprises a pair of CAT 3516C diesel engines, each rated at 1864 BHP at 1600 rpm, and each driving a Schottel, SPR 430 fixed pitch Z-drive unit, in ASD configuration.

The electrical plant comprises two (2) identical diesel gen-sets each with a power output of 86 ekW.

Ship handling fenders at the bow consists of an 800 x 400 cylindrical fender with 480 x 300 mm “W” block fendering below. A 300 x 300 hollow “D” fender provides protection at the main deck sheer line and along the knuckle, and 480 x 300 mm “W” block fendering is used at the stern.

On trials, the Hinewai met or exceeded performance expectations with the following results:

  • Bollard pull: 63.9 tonnes ahead, 61.8 tonnes astern
  • Free running speed, ahead: 12.9 knots

Hinewai will undoubtedly be the first of many RAmparts 2500-CL tugs to be seen in ports around the globe as more of these vessels are on their way from Cheoy Lee Shipyards.