Jensen Completes Design of Three Tugs for Moran Towing

Jensen Maritime Consultants said it has completed the design of three tugboats for Moran Towing Corp. of New Canaan, CT bringing Moran’s Jensen-designed series of tugboats to five.

The three new boats are nearly identical in design to the two previously Jensen-designed, Z-Drive tugs, the Capt. Jimmy Moran and the Shiney V. Moran, built in 2008 and 2009, respectively, with the exception of some internal upgrades.

“Moran asked us to design three more of these tugs because they were so impressed with their maneuverability and compact power,” said Jensen’s Johan Sperling, vice president. “We are pleased to continue our relationship with Moran and to contribute to their ship assist and escort fleet with more of these highly capable vessels.”

At 86′ in length and 36′ in breadth, the series of tugboats provides a maneuverable and powerful vessel for ship assist and escort work. Equipped with a twin Schottel 1215 Z-Drive propulsion units and MTU-DD 16V4000 engines, the tugs have more than 5,000 horsepower. A deep skeg forward is included in the design for escort work, but the skeg will remain open at the aft end to allow for better maneuverability. The skeg also provides for a more stable platform when underway, minimizing rolling in heavy seas. An escort hawser winch will also be installed forward and an H-bitt and hydraulic capstan installed for aft towing and line handling.

The vessels also feature large-machinery removal hatches in the main deck and deck house to allow for easy removal of equipment from the engine room. Berths for six crewmembers will be installed in four comfortable staterooms.

Construction of the three new tugs began earlier this year at Washburn & Doughty Shipyard in Easy Boothbay, Maine. Delivery is scheduled for the second and third quarters of 2012.

Moran Towing is a leading provider of marine towing and transportation services on the U.S. East and Gulf coasts. The company currently owns and operates 95 tugs and 30 barges.