(BODO, Norway) — Rapp Marine has over a decade of experience of designing and delivering towing winches for the workboat market. Combining the best ideas from Rapp’s past work in the other commercial industries and recommendations from the tugboat operators, Rapp Marine has developed long-lasting and dependable towing winches. These past towing winches have mainly been powered using hydraulic systems in the North American market.
Rapp Marine has been delivering electric winches to commercial vessels in other industries such as research, oil and gas, and fisheries for years. Rapp Marine has now developed a unique, fully electric driven double-drum tow winch on a new 110-by-40-foot tractor tug for Vessel Chartering LLC, a wholly owned division of Baydelta Navigation Ltd. The tugboat is designed by Jensen Maritime and will be built at JT Marine Shipyard.
Driven by a single 100-hp motor, the winch can pull over 75 tons and utilizes pneumatic cylinders in place of hydraulics, keeping fluid off of the deck. The brakes offer a force of 250 tons on the barrel layer. The main drum can store 2,500 feet of 2.5-inch steel wire, and the storage drum can store 2,200 feet of 2.25-inch steel wire. Both drums are equipped with level winds and can spool 90 feet of 3-inch chain on top of the steel wire.
Another feature is an electric "come home" drive, which will serve as a backup to the main drive train. The winch’s main control station will be situated in the wheelhouse, with secondary controls located on the winch. The main control station will employ Rapp Marine’s Pentagon Tow Control System, that provides more efficient and safer operations for towing vessels. The Pentagon System features a touchscreen with tension and wire length readouts, auto-tension capability, and automated haul-in and pay-out settings.
“We view this project a big step forward,” said Johann Sigurjonsson, president of Rapp Marine U.S. “Working closely with Baydelta has resulted in developing an ideal tow winch for the market."
Rapp Marine also offers a line of electric and hydraulic driven mooring winches, anchor windlasses, capstans and cranes. For more information, visit www.rappmarine.com.
