VESSEL REVIEW | YT 027 & AT 010 – Philippine Navy acquires new tugs for ship handling and firefighting support

The Philippine Navy recently took delivery of two new tugs built by local shipyard Josefa Slipways (JSI). Designed by Canadian naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd (RAL), the newbuilds include one harbour tug and one ocean tug, both of which are constructed to owner and Philippine flag requirements.

“The navy required vessels of proven design that were also highly manoeuvrable and built specifically for operation in restricted waters to assist navy vessels, including the two large 7,200-tonne landing docks,” JSI told Baird Maritime. “The tugs also needed to be able to deliver high levels of bollard pull, i.e., 60 tonnes for the ocean tug and 40-tonnes for the ASD harbour tug.”

JSI added that the tugs, the first of these two RAL series to be built by the company, used existing RAL designs measuring 30 metres (100 feet) and 27 metres (89 feet) long, respectively. The vessels were built using the latest advances in modern design technology and fitted with state-of-the-art equipment to meet the requirements of the end user.

Versatile and durable for coastal and offshore operations

As these will be the first locally-built examples of the two series, JSI wanted to enhance their efficiency, improve their safety and performance, reduce their environmental impact, and provide their respective crews with high levels of comfort and ease of operation even in extreme environments. Although the tugs belong to different series, there are nonetheless similarities between the two vessels particularly with regard to crew accommodation, wheelhouse layout, and some of the onboard equipment.

“The tugs will operate in harbours as well as offshore waters, wherein they will assist navy vessels in entering and leaving designated berthing and anchoring stations,” said JSI. “Specifically, they will provide the support necessary for these other navy vessels to counteract wind, wave, and current actions in situations wherein their propulsion and rudder efficiency will not suffice.”

The tugs will also be capable of other duties such as rescue, firefighting in port and further out to sea, and rendering assistance to vessels in distress, whether by towing or by pushing those that have suffered loss of propulsion and/or steering. JSI explained that the acquisition of these vessels will fill a gap, allowing the navy to reduce reliance on third-party service providers especially during incidents and other emergencies that require an immediate response.

The harbour tug YT 027 has an LOA of 27.6 metres (90.6 feet), a moulded beam of 10 metres (30 feet), a maximum draught of 4.35 metres (14.3 feet), and a gross tonnage of approximately 309. Two MTU 12V4000M53 diesel engines each rated 1,380 kW (1,850 hp) at 1,800 rpm drive Schottel fixed-pitch rudder propellers to deliver a bollard pull of 45.8 tonnes and a free running speed of 13.1 knots.

The harbour tug is fitted with a Palmarine hydraulic ship handling/anchor winch with 600 metres (2,000 feet) of 64mm (2.5-inch) towing line. The spooling gear is rated and operable at all line tensions and modes of operation.

The ocean tug AT 010 has an LOA of 30.25 metres (99.25 feet), a moulded beam of 11.75 metres (38.55 feet), a maximum draught of 4.67 metres (15.3 feet), and a gross tonnage of approximately 452. Two MTU 16V4000M63 diesel engines each rated 1,920 kW (2,570 hp) at 1,600 rpm drive BT Marine fixed-pitch propellers via ZF gearboxes to enable the tug to achieve a bollard pull of 61.1 tonnes and a free running speed of 13.8 knots. The tug also has an emergency diesel generator.

The deck equipment for the ocean tug was also supplied by Palmarine. This comprises a ship handling/anchor winch, a drum and 750 metres (2,500 feet) of 68mm (2.7-inch) towing line. The tug also has a forward bitt for mooring/calm water light duty towing manoeuvres with an independent Palmarine anchor winch.

“The winches on each tug have an emergency quick release function and other safety features in accordance with class requirements,” JSI told Baird Maritime. “The vessels are also configured to allow the winches to be controlled either locally or remotely via a wheelhouse station.”

Commonality for ease of operation

YT 027 and AT 010 are each fitted with a Guerra Marine foldable crane; ship-handling cylindrical, W-type and D-type fenders; sheer D-type and W-type fenders; and foam firefighting monitors. The tugs even share a common wheelhouse design that features a single split-type control station, which provides maximum all-round visibility with exceptional visibility to the bow and side fendering, as well as operation on the aft deck.

The accommodation spaces on each tug are outfitted for a 10-strong crew. A master’s cabin, a mess, and a galley are arranged in the deckhouse while all other crew cabins are found on the lower accommodation deck along with a common toilet, showers, a laundry room, and stores. The main deck accommodation of each tug also includes a ship’s office and separate lockers for storing small arms, damage control equipment, refuse, and CO2 tanks.

The vessels also boast a similar electronics setup. Each is fitted with ICOM radios, an Inmarsat satcom, a MaxSea TimeZero plotter, and a Furuno package consisting of two radars, a GPS, an ECDIS, a fathometer, and a weatherfax. These will enable the tugs to safely perform their duties under a broad range of weather and sea conditions, an especially important capability as many coastal areas in the Philippines are subject to thunderstorms and even severe tropical cyclones.

“Due to their design depth, launching of the tugs was one of the main challenges we encountered,” said JSI. “We had to protect the tugs’ underwater gear because our facility was then still undergoing upgrades when the launches took place.”

JSI added that there had also been a lack of facilities available for conducting bollard pull tests. Because no similar tugs had been constructed locally before, it was imperative that such tests be performed. This issue was addressed when the company was permitted to carry out the required tests at the navy’s facilities at the now-closed Hanjin Shipyard in Subic Bay.

“There was also the challenge pertaining to long lead-times of deliveries of major machinery, electronics, and non-traditional materials,” the builder said. “We believe these logistics-related issues also affected manufacturers elsewhere around the world especially in Western countries.”

For JSI, the integration of advanced technologies in modern ship design and state-of-the-art machinery and equipment will serve as the company’s primary considerations in future newbuilding projects. It is also considering the increasing use of automation in the manufacturing process to ensure it is more precise and less prone to human error.

“Both of these approaches will constitute a continuing learning process,” JSI told Baird Maritime. “We want to encourage our local maritime partners that in the Philippines, we can manufacture vessels that can compete with similar ones built overseas and to do so at lower cost.”