Seafarers and SIU officials were on hand March 19 in Charleston, S.C., as Crowley Maritime Corporation christened the articulated tug-barge (ATB) Integrity.SIU Vice President Contracts George Tricker and SIU Assistant Vice President Contracts Archie Ware represented the union at the ceremony along with rank-and-file Seafarers.
The new ATB consists of the 9,280 hp tugboat and the barge 650-4, collectively called the Integrity. It is the fourth of 10 new 185,000-barrel ATB tank vessels that the company expects to receive by the end of 2010.
During ceremonies conducted at the Charleston Cruise Terminal on Concord Street, Marcia Bartholme, wife of Rocky Smith, Crowley senior vice president and general manager, Pacific/Alaska region, christened the 135-foot tug Integrity, while Barbara Baldwin, wife of Bob Baldwin, regional director, BP Shipping USA, christened the 587-foot barge 650-4.
According to the company, Crowley’s petroleum service is chartering the VT Halter Marine-built ATB from Crowley’s technical services group, and operating it for BP under a time-charter agreement.
Crowley already has four 155,000-barrel ATBs and three 185,000-barrel ATBs operating and has announced plans to build three larger 750-series (330,000-barrel capacity) ATBs for delivery by the middle of 2013. Once all vessels are received, the fleet will stand at 17.
“The ceremony was very well done and the entire experience was understandably upbeat,” said Tricker. “Whenever we see new, state-of-the-art tonnage entering the SIU-contracted fleet, it’s natural to feel excited.”
Captain Buddy Davis described the Integrity as “the finest piece of equipment afloat. They didn’t cut any corners – everything is state-of-the-art. Every system has a backup.” He also said the new ATB is “laid out with all the creature comforts. Crowley’s a very good company. They care about their people and they care about their equipment, and it shows.”
“We are focused on our customers’ needs and as they continue to provide us with requests for larger and faster vessels of this type, we are certainly poised to respond,” said Steve Collar, Crowley senior vice president and general manager, technical services. “The ATBs not only provide reliable and efficient transportation for the petroleum products they are contracted to carry but they have an outstanding safety record with zero spills to date.”
An ATB has an articulated, or hinged, connection system between the tug and barge, which allows movement in one axis or plane in the critical area of fore and aft pitch.
Crowley and VT Halter Marine jointly designed the newest ATB tank vessel. The barge 650-4 was built at Halter’s shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., and the Integrity at its shipyard, in Moss Point, Miss.
The new ATBs feature the latest systems technology and double-hull construction for maximum safety and reliability. Not only does the unit have the capability of transporting refined products, but it can also carry heated cargoes and “easy” chemicals, which require special arrangements of vents, stripping systems, pump components and tank coatings above those normally required for product carriers.
All of Crowley’s ATBs are built under the ABS SafeHull program for environmental protection.
According to the company, this program puts the vessel design through an exhaustive review to identify structural loads and strengthen the vessel structure. The 650-Class barges are 27,000 deadweight tons, 587 feet in length, 74 feet in breadth and 40 feet in depth. The fully loaded draft is 30 feet.
There is an electric cargo pump in each of the 14 cargo tanks to assure maximum cargo integrity and segregation flexibility; two anchor windlasses and associated equipment to enable the vessel to accommodate offshore mooring operations; and a vacuum system with three retention tanks to easily handle cargo changes. There is also a nitrogen generator and vapor collection system for maximum safety. A layer of nitrogen covers products in the tanks to make the atmosphere too lean for combustion. An enhanced mooring system features 1,000-foot Spectra-type lines on split drums with a high-speed recovery rate of 100 feet per minute.
The tugs meet all SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) and ABS criteria, and have a foam capable fire monitor; twin fuel-efficient heavy fuel oil engines; a noise reduction package; and other upgrades to increase crew comfort. The communication and navigation equipment is among the most technologically advanced in the industry today, the company noted.
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