Seafarers already had been sailing aboard Crowley Maritime Corporation’s ATB Gulf Reliance for a few weeks, but the new articulated tug and barge formally was welcomed into the fleet May 23 at a ceremony in Long Beach, Calif.SIU members and officials were on hand for the pier-side event, including Seafarers Bruce Comiskey, Charlie Carlson, Robert Hoffman Jr., Ardale Crim, Kenneth Graybill, Christopher Farmer, Ronald Poole and Rick Cristofano and Wilmington Port Agent John Cox. Altogether, more than 125 people attended the christening.
The Gulf Reliance (and its accompanying barge 650-2) is the second in a series of 10 new ATBs being constructed for Crowley by VT Halter Marine at facilities in Pascagoula and Moss Point, Miss. The first, the Pacific Reliance/650-1, was christened in March 2006.
The newest tug was christened for customer Shell Trading U.S. by Shell Representative Amy McDonald and Crowley Technical Services Senior Vice President and General Manager Steve Collar. The barge was christened by Shell Representative Jan Chilelli and Crowley Petroleum Services Vice President of Bulk Petroleum and Chemical Transportation Bill Taylor.
The ATB is powered by twin, low-emissions Caterpillar diesels producing over 9,000 horsepower. Each tugboat in the Reliance Class of ATBs measures 127 feet long and 42 feet wide, with a depth of 24 feet and a draft of 19 feet. Each barge is approximately 587 feet long and 74 feet wide and has a capacity of 185,000 barrels.
According to the company, “The Reliance/650 Class ATBs incorporate the latest advances in environmental safety along with improvements in hull design to deliver the most advanced and efficient tug barge combinations currently available. Making use of an articulated connection system, the tug mates into a specially designed notch in the stern of the barge. The sophisticated connection allows the tug and barge to move fluidly as one unit in the most adverse seas, thereby providing increased service reliability not achievable with a conventional tug and barge. With the barge’s advanced hull shape and articulated connection system, the unit is able to achieve a service speed of 12 knots.”
Crowley further notes that the barges are double-hulled and tugs double-sided “for maximum protection and safety. The barges were built, documented and maintained to the stringent requirements of American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) SafeHull. They have sophisticated inert gas generating systems, vapor recovery systems, fully redundant ballast systems, flexible and highly efficient cargo systems, closed radar tank gauging systems, and advanced mooring systems.
“Tugs meet all SOLAS (Safety Of Life At Sea) and ABS criteria, and have foam capable fire monitors; twin fuel efficient, low emission electronic diesel engines; noise reduction packages as well as other upgrades to increase performance and ensure safe, reliable operation. The tugs and barges carry communication and navigation equipment that is among the most technologically advanced in the industry today.”
When the last of the new tug-barge units is delivered—scheduled to take place in 2010 — Crowley’s ATB fleet will number 14, consisting of four 155,000-barrel and ten 185,000-barrel ATBs.
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