Powerful New ATBs for Vane Bunkering
Cummins Vessel Reference #796
The bold blue “V” logo emblazoned on the green-banded white stack continues to proliferate on American waterways. Vane Brothers Company has been expanding its fleet with new construction. Recently the marine transportation company announced a contract for three ATB tugs to be built at the Conrad Orange Shipyard in Orange, Texas.
Designed by Greg Castleman of Castleman Maritime, LLC, based in Clear Lake Shores, Texas, the 110-foot by 38-foot tugs will be mated to 80,000-barrel barges designed by Bristol Harbor Group and being built by Conrad Industries of Amelia, Louisiana. These barges measure 405 feet by 74 feet.
Each ATB unit will utilize a Beacon-Finland JAK 700 tug/barge coupling system. Crew access to the barges will be facilitated by a Schoelhorn-Albrecht custom gangway. Coastal Marine Equipment of Gulfport MS will supply deck capstans on the tugs.
A pair of Cummins QSK-60M, Tier 3 engines, each rated at 2,200 HP was recently delivered to the yard to be installed in the first tug. They are being coupled to Reintjes WAF 873 gears with 7.087:1 reduction and will turn 102-inch 4-blade bronze propellers mounted on 9.5-inch shafts. Two Cummins-powered 125 kW generators will provide electrical power for each vessel with a Cummins powered 60 kW emergency generator.
The tugs will have accommodation for up to ten crewmembers. The Cummins-powered boats will be classed ABS-A1 TUG, AMS, ABCU. Delivery of the first tug, to be named Assateague, is scheduled for August 2017.
Profile drawing courtesy of Vane Brothers Company
For further information:
Blaise Willig
Communications Manager
Vane Brothers Company
2100 Frankfurst Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21226
Phone: 410 735 8140
E-mail: bwillig@vanebrothers.com
Conrad Orange Shipyard
710 Market St.
Orange, TX 77630
Phone: 409 883 6666
Richard Sutton
Marine Territory Manager, Atlantic Waterways
Cummins Sales and Service
1907 Park 100 Drive
Glen Burnie, MD 21061
Phone: 410 762 1419
Cell: 443 690 2986
E-mail: richard.n.sutton@cummins.com
Reuben Trane
Marketing Director
Castleman Maritime, LLC
Phone: 786 303 1013
E-mail: reuben@castlemanmaritime.com
Alan Haig-Brown
Over 30 years as an author for global commercial marine and fishing publications backed with hands-on experience on commercial fishing boats and coastal freighters makes Alan Haig-Brown uniquely qualified to provide vessel reference articles for Cummins Marine. You can find him in shipyards around the world, and on his own website, www.haig-brown.com.
