Triple-Screw Tug For Hudson River

“The Daisy Mae is the closest you can get to Z-drive maneuverability, without the cost of Z-drive,” maintains builder Joseph Rodriguez of Rodriguez Ship Building Inc. in Bayou la Batre, Ala.

Rodriguez has designed and built a lot of tugs over the years and doesn’t make this claim lightly. Furthermore, he backs it up with his description of the beamy 82- by 32-foot tug that his yard delivered to Coeymans Marine Towing. This is one of the Carver Group companies based at the Port of Coeymans 110 miles up the Hudson River from New York.

The triple-engined boat is powered by port and starboard Tier 3-compliant Cummins QSK38 engines each delivering 1,300 hp. at 1,800 rpm. and a center-line, Tier 3-compliant Cummins QSK19 for an additional 750 hp. at 1,800 rpm. The two outside engines turn Kahlenberg stainless steel, four-blade Kaplan-style 75.25- by 80-inch propellers through Twin Disc gears, while the centerline engine is fitted with a 65.25- by 72-inch propeller with a similar configuration.

Shaft brakes have been installed on all three shafts to allow rapid shifting fore and aft. All the propellers are fitted with kort nozzles to enhance their thrust by as much as 32 percent for a bollard pull of 47.5 tons.

With a maximum draft of only 10 feet, the Daisy Mae will work comfortably along the Hudson River. With its model bow, it has better sea-keeping abilities than a conventional riverboat. At the same time, it has riverboat maneuverability with two flanking rudders on both the two outside props. The combination of powerful port and starboard engines with kort nozzles on a beamy hull, together with the shaft brakes, foil-shaped steering rudders, and towboat-style flanking rudders will give the operator of the new tug a lot of options for maneuvering in the river currents or tight harbors when towing, pushing or on the hip of barges.

For pushing, the tug is equipped with a second, elevated aluminum pilothouse with a 41-foot eye level. For towing, a Markee towing winch, with 2,000 feet of 1.5-inch wire, is mounted on the aft deck. A pair of Patterson 40-ton deck winches is mounted aft for making up to push.

Although built in the south, the Daisy Mae is built for the north, with heavy ice-strengthened frames and plating forward. As an ABS load line vessel, it has been stability-tested and is Subchapter M compliant, including all required fire suppression systems.

Accommodation is provided for a crew of five: captain, mate, engineer and two deckhands. Tankage includes 33,000 gallons of fuel, 8,000 gallons of water, 500 gallons of lube oil, 1,000 gallons of waste oil and 1,000 gallons for zero discharge provisions. An extensive set of wheelhouse electronics includes two Halo 4-pulse compression radars, 16-inch touch-screen chart display, satellite compass, AIS, autopilot, depth sounder, and weather station all manufactured by SIMRAD. There are also three radiophones, a satellite phone, and a bridge monitoring system. Electrical power is provided by two Cummins QSB7-DM-powered, 60 kw. generator sets.

Speaking of the new 3,350 hp. Daisy Mae, which was delivered in October, the owner’s representative said, “Rodriguez Ship Building has turned out a quality vessel in a short time frame. His employees show pride in their work in every aspect of this build, and it has exceeded our expectations from a shipbuilder and has added a new vessel for our fleet.”