(LULING, La.) —Bisso Towboat has taken delivery of its newest low-emission ship-assist tug, the 5,000-hp Mr. Brian. It is the sixth ASD tractor tug built in the past nine years for Bisso by Main Iron Works of Houma, La., and is named in honor of Brian Cyprowski, Bisso’s longtime vice president of operations.
The 100-by-38-foot vessel, with a 13.5-foot draft, is powered by two Caterpillar 3516E Tier 4F main engines, generating 2,500 hp each at 1,600 rpm through two Kongsberg US205S z-drives. The z-drives feature 2,400-millimeter-diameter, four-blade stainless-steel propellers in stainless-steel nozzles. Estimated bollard pull is 68 tons.
Electrical service is provided by two 118-kW Caterpillar generators powered by two Caterpillar C4.4 engines. The tug is equipped with a JonRie Series 240 escort winch featuring 500 feet of 2.75-inch-diameter Saturn 12 line.
Other features include U.S. Coast Guard-approved engine room monitoring and fire/smoke alarm systems, fixed CO2 fire extinguishing system, Simrad navigation/electronics, soundproof insulation throughout the engine room/crew quarters, stainless-steel bitts and bow staple, and four bunk rooms with seven berths.
Tankage includes capacities for 30,162 gallons of diesel, 11,000 gallons of potable water, 1,825 gallons each of lube and hydraulic oil, and 2,000 gallons of diesel exhaust fluid (DEF).
Mr. Brian will have a crew complement of four and carries an ABS International Load Line in addition to being built to Subchapter M certification and receiving a Coast Guard certificate of inspection.
With the addition of Mr. Brian, Bisso is the only ship-assist company on the Mississippi River with a daily operating fleet of 100 percent ASD tractor tugs.
– Bisso Towboat Co.
