VESSEL REVIEW | Eitan – Tripmare deploys third powerful ship-handling tug for Israel’s Ashdod Port

Tripmare, a towage operator headquartered in the northern Italian port city of Trieste, has taken delivery of a new all-steel ship handling and escort tug from Sanmar Shipyards of Turkey.

The ABS-classed, Robert Allan Ltd-designed Eitan joins two other Sanmar-built tugs in the Tripmare fleet. The new tug and earlier sisters Arie A and Ashdod are being operated by Tripmare at the Port of Ashdod some 40 kilometres south of the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.

The tug has an LOA of 30.25 metres, a moulded beam of 13 metres, a moulded depth of 5.1 metres, and a navigational draught of 6.6 metres. Power is provided by two Caterpillar 3516C diesel engines that each produce 2,525 kW at 1,800 rpm. The engines drive a pair of Voith cycloidal propellers via Reintjes gearboxes and Vulkan composite shafts to enable the tug to achieve speeds of up to 13.25 knots and a bollard pull of 73.5 tonnes.

The engines are placed on Vulkan resilient mounts and are fitted with high attenuation silencers to keep the interior noise within tolerable levels according to the requirements of flag authorities.

Power for the onboard systems is supplied by two Caterpillar C4.4 diesel generator sets, each with a rated output of 86 ekW.

The tug also has MLC-compliant main deck accommodations for up to six crewmembers. The accommodation options include four single cabins and one double cabin, each having its own en suite bathroom with heated floors. The deckhouse contains a lounge/mess area and galley facilities while galley stores and a laundry room are located below the main deck forward.

The wheelhouse is designed to provide excellent 360-degree visibility and also has overhead windows. The split type console is biased aft to ensure unobstructed visibility of the working deck including the winch, staple, bulwarks, and fenders during operations. In compliance to ABS' ABCU notation, the wheelhouse also has a control console that is connected to the tug's electrical system, essential pumps, and engine room fans while the mess area and the chief engineer's cabin both feature LED panels that will allow the crew to remotely assess the condition in the unattended machinery spaces.

All interior spaces are equipped with HVAC systems in accordance to ILO standards. The HVAC systems make sure that air is preheated before it is supplied to the cabins.

All towing, ship handling, and escort work is performed using a double drum escort winch and escort-rated staple from DMT Marine Equipment fitted on the aft deck. One drum can store 710 metres of steel wire line, while the other stores 150 metres of synthetic towline. For increased operational flexibility, radial type tow hooks are installed on the main deck forward and aft.

The stern also features heavy duty cylindrical fendering with a course of W-type fenders below. Hollow D-type fenders protect the sheer lines and tie neatly into the W-type fenders at the bow.

Eitan's firefighting equipment consists of two 1,400m³/h pumps, an 11,000-litre foam tank, and two remotely operated foam/water monitors while provisions for oil recovery equipment are available as well. Should evacuation of the tug become necessary, there is a SOLAS-certified lifeboat with crane.

See more stories from this month's Tug and Salvage Week here.