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For more than 15 years Vancouver-based Robert Allan Ltd. has had tugs built to their designs by Turkish ship- yards. To date more than 150 Robert Allan tugs have been Turkish-built. Even in a slightly reduced market this year there are at least 15 Robert Allan designs under construc- tion in Turkey today. These Turkish-built tugs have been delivered to owners around the world, but the majority now operate in the Mediterranean, Western Europe, the Middle East and in the Black Sea. In January, however, the first Turkish-built Robert Allan tug arrived in Vancouver, B.C., the birthplace of its design. Seaspan International Ltd., of North Vancouver took delivery of the new RAstar 2800 Class tug Seaspan Raven, the first of four powerful new tugs for harbor towage and tanker escort operations in the largest port in Western North America. The Seaspan Raven is classed for both harbor and coastal towing and escort duties. The tug was built to ABS Class notation X A1, E, AMS, ABCU, Towing Vessel, Escort Support, Fi-Fi 1. Propulsion comprises a pair of CAT 3516B marine diesel engines, each rated 1,840 kW at 1,600 rpm, and each driving a Rolls-Royce model US 205 CP azimuthing Z-drive unit with a 2,400 mm diameter propeller through a Cardan shafting system. This combi- nation delivered a bollard pull of 71.2 tonnes on trials conducted in late October 2010. A free running speed of 13 knots was recorded. The main hawser winch is a single drum hydraulic winch supplied by Rolls-Royce. The aft deck is equipped for harbor towage with a Rolls-Royce towing winch. Electrical power is provided by a pair of MAN gen-sets, each rated 120 eKW. The tug has a full Fi-Fi 1 rating of 2,400 m3/hour in accordance with the ABS Class nota- tion requirements. The fire pumps are driven from the front end of the main engines through a Kumera gearbox which also drives the main hydraulic pumps, powering the winches. The second tug of this class is expected to arrive in BC within a few months. MN Images courtesy Robert Allan Ltd. 12 MN February 2011 BOAT OF THE MONTH Harbor & Coastal Escort Seaspan Raven
