Luling, La.-based Bisso Towboat Company Inc. has taken delivery of its newest ship­ assist tug, the 6,008 bhp ASD tractor tug Capt. Joseph Bisso.

The 100- by 38- by 13.5-foot vessel is the fifth ASD tractor tug built for Bisso in the past seven years by the Main Iron Works shipyard in Houma, La.

With an estimated bollard pull of 75 tons, Capt. Joseph Bisso is powered by twin Caterpillar 3516E Tier 4F main engines. Each generating 3,004 bhp at 1,800 rpm, they drive two Schottel SRP 460 FP Z-drives. The Z-drives feature 2,500 mm diameter four-blade stainless steel propellers in stainless steel nozzles.

Electrical service is provided by two 118 kW Caterpillar generators powered by two Caterpillar C4.4 engines.

The tug is equipped with a JonRie Series 240 escort winch, featuring 500 feet of 3-inch diameter Saturn 12 line with 749,000 pounds of breaking strength.

OTHER KEY TUG FEATURES

Other features include USCG-approved engine room monitoring and fire/smoke alarm systems, fixed CO2 fire extinguishing system, Simrad navigation/electronics, soundproof insulation throughout engine room/crew quarters, stainless steel bitts and bow staple and four bunk rooms with seven berths.

Tankage includes capacities for 30,162 gallons diesel, 11,000 gallons potable water, 1,825 gallons each of lube and hydraulic oil and 2,000 gallons of Diesel Exhaust Fluid.

The Capt. Joseph Bisso will have a crew complement of four and carries an ABS International Loadline in addition to being built to Subchapter M certification and receiving a USCG COI.

The Capt. Joseph Bisso brings the total number of tugs in the Bisso fleet to 12, all built by Main Iron Works. Bisso Towboat operates the largest fleet of ASD tractor tugs on the Mississippi River, with nine such vessels, and the youngest fleet of tugs on the river, with an average age of 13 years across the fleet.

(Source: MarineLog)