Category Archives: tugs

The Tugs Of Florida

posts this past week have been non-existent due to a Florida Vacation. This post will show some of the Tug Varieties that are commonly found. Due to USCG Crewing regulations, US companies prefer to use tugs and barges over similar sized ships due to the smaller required crew.

(Above) the tug Julie docked unmated from her Barge. You can see the mating pins just aft of her name. (Below) The ATB Acadia (Tug Unknown) mated and loaded.

 (Above) Pusher tug with Barge

 (Above and Below) Another Pusher Tug, Sea Dozer, moving crane barges for a Bridge replacement Project

(Above) A smaller tug, Bayou Teddy, on the same bridge replacement project
(Below) a SeaTow Assistance Tug. SeaTow is like CAA for your boat in the US. 

Lyubov Orlova adrift in international Waters

It appears the Lyubov Orlova will simply drift away to become another countries problem. After being towed away from the Searose FPSO by Atlantic Hawk, the Tow was handed off to Maersk Challenger, another St John’s based AHST, chartered by Transport Canada.

Rather then return the ship to Port – no port appeared willing to accept the Lyubov Orlova, Maersk challenger, towed her beyond the 200nm limit, and cut her free in international waters. The Lyubov Orlova will drift untill she is Sunk by weather, hits another country, or is claimed by her owners.

Transport Canada maintains that the vessel is still the responsibility of her owners; The Owners likely will not go after the vessel as the cost will be more the the value of the vessel; and if she doesnt sink, the Lyubov Orlova will become another countries problem.

Given the rash of scrap vessels going adrift, The federal Government should pass a law requiring any vessel being towed from within Canadian territorial waters, to outside to carry sufficient insurance for recovery, prior to being allowed to leave port.

UPDATE: It is now reported that the Maersk Challenger took the tow, however the Tow line parted in heavy seas. It was decided to let the Lubov Orlova drift, as she was no longer a danger to off shore installations, nor in Canadian Waters.  The owner claims he intends to recover the vessel, however Transport Canada forbids him from doing so with the Charlene Hunt.

Lyubov Orlova Under control

Huskey Energy is reporting that one of its boats has taken the Lyubov Orlova  Under tow.
Huskey is the Operator of the Hiberina platform off Newfoundland, and contracted Atlantic Towing to provide platform support vessels.

As the Lyubov Orlova was adrift without crew, this would count as salvage, meaning Atlantic Towing could file a claim against the vessel to cover its costs for recovery. Given the vessel was sold for scrap, and is likely uninsured, it likely means it is now Atlantic Towings’ to scrap to recover thier costs.

Update via the Telegram
As of 4 p.m. today, the towed MV Lyubov Orlova was 100 kilometres north of Husky Energy’s SeaRose floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) platform, according to a spokeswoman for the operator.

An offshore supply vessel, the Atlantic Hawk, began towing the previously adrift vessel at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday. As of 10 a.m. Thursday, it was 70 kilometres north of the FPSO platform.

More towing issues

Looks like the tug Charlene Hunt snapped a tow line and is having trouble reconnecting.

See shipfax  for more on the tug. (which waited out weather in Halifax in Dec, and arrived in newfoundland damaged due to additional weather.

(Left) To Vessels at bottom are the Charlene Hunt and the CCGS Cape Roger. Initial reports were that the Lyubov Orlova was drifting out to sea.

CBC news is reporting:

A derelict Russian cruise ship that left St. John’s this week for the scrapyard is drifting in open seas.

The Lyubov Orlova finally left St. John’s Harbour on Wednesday afternoon after being tied up for nearly two-and-a-half years.

It was being towed to the Dominican Republic to be scrapped when the Coast Guard was notified on Thursday that the tow line had snapped.

It happened about 12 kilometres east of Cape Race.

No one was on board the Orlova at the time.

There were high winds in the area Thursday evening, with five- to six-metre waves, causing more issues for the ship – though a spokesperson for the Coast Guard said those winds should diminish overnight.

The crew of the tug boat Charlene Hunt was trying to reconnect the line. Meanwhile, the Coast Guard vessel Cape Roger is en route to monitor the situation.

The Coast Guard is advising mariners to be cautious if travelling through the area.

HMCS Athabaskan Off Glace Bay

Thanks to Gus for pointing me to ThreemilesFinal.com (A great Site if you like Aircrft BTW) which has this shot takken off Table Head near the Marconi Heritage Site.

Quote “It was there that I saw the tow line go slack and watch the Tugs jockey it into a stable position. The icy winds kept the Destroyer bobbing around nicely in the seas due to it being much lighter without its armament and electronics suite onboard. It must have been quite the chore for the Tugs to keep her steady.”

Thanks to Erik Fullerton of Three Miles Final Photography for the use of the images.

Athabaskan Update ready to resume Tow

Photo. Don Merritt used with Permision

 The Calgary Herald is reporting:

 Temporary repairs have been made to the damaged hull of a navy warship in the hopes of resuming its trip to Halifax in the coming days, the military said Monday. Lt.-Cmdr. Bruno Tremblay, a spokesman for the navy in Halifax, said an engineering team completed minor, temporary repairs on the 40-year-old vessel Saturday to ensure its hull is watertight.

 “I am confident that the ship can safely return here to her home port in Halifax,” Tremblay said. “As planned, the tow will likely occur this week.” Tremblay said a plan is now being finalized with a different towing company, Irving-owned Atlantic Towing Ltd., to return HMCS Athabaskan to Halifax for further assessment. He said the navy hopes the towing process, which could take several days, will begin this week if the weather co-operates.

Update: Don Merritt Photos of the Patch Job:

The Canadian Connection to the Kulluk

The Americans are curently dealing with their own Towing Incident. Shell Oils drill rig is aground on  Kodiak Island Alaska, while being towed to Seatle. The tug lost power, and the tow line was severed in high winds and seas (Sound Familier?) See GCaptain for more

The drilling rig KULLUK was built in 1983 by the Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Company Ltd in Tamano, Japan.  KULLUK, whose name means “Thunder” in the Inuvialuit language, was first operated by Gulf Canada Resources, Inc. in the Canadian arctic. Kulluk could drill safely in first-year ice up to 1.2 m (3.9 ft) thick. Dome eventually acquired the vessel, which then passed progressively through acquisitions to Amoco and then BP. BP intended to sell this tool for scrap around 2000. Royal Dutch Shell subsequently purchased the vessel.

She was supported by several specially built off shore support vessels with ice class hulls. Though relatively early designs, many are still in service around the world. Arctic Kalvik was sold to the Murmansk Shipping Co. in 2003 and became Vladimir Ignatyuk (Above). She is the sister ship to CCGS Terry Fox, Which operated as Terry Fox for Beaudrill.

 There was a third vessel, the ex Canmar Kigoriak. Built in 1979, For Dome Petroleum, who were also interested in the Beaufort Sea. She is very similar to Terry Fox and Vladimir Ignatyuk, but was built first, and has an additional level below her bridge.  Canmar Kigoriak now operates as just Kigoriak for Russian owners.
 
Other Vessels used in  Arctic Oil exploration are still in service today. Canmar Supplier II is now Atlantic Towings Atlantic Tern (below).  Canmar Supplier IV now works for Northern Transportation as the Jim Kilabuk

You can read about the Kulluk in Canadian service here 

UPDATE: Edited April 27/2015 to Correct facts. the Kulluk was scraped in China following the Incident above.

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