(SPAY, Germany) — Schottel has secured a contract with American tug operator McAllister Towing to provide propulsion units for a new escort and harbor tug. The tug is under construction at Washburn & Doughty in East Boothbay, Maine. It will be equipped with two Schottel rudder propellers type SRP 490 with an input power of 2,525 kW each, delivering an expected bollard pull of about 82 tons.
The new tug continues a long-standing cooperation between McAllister Towing and Schottel. Over 30 years ago, McAllister was Schottel’s first towing customer in the United States. Since then, Schottel has delivered more than 70 azimuth thrusters to U.S.-based tug operator McAllister.
The main propulsion for the tug consists of a pair of Caterpillar 3516 engines, each driving a Schottel SRP 490 azimuthing stern drive unit with fixed-pitch propellers 2,800 mm in diameter and enabling a free running speed of more than 14 knots. The tug is designed for harbor and terminal operations as well as for coastal towing.
Rudder propellers with a maximum power rating for tug duties between 2,350 and 2,550 kW per engine, such as the SRP 490 and the SRP 460, are among Schottel's azimuth thrusters that have undergone several technical updates to offer customers state-of-the-art design, construction and economical operation. The SRP 460, formerly SRP 1515, was first delivered in 1999. The thrusters have been continuously updated for two decades so that nowadays the SRP 490 is suitable for the 80-ton bollard pull class. Today, the standard range includes Schottel ProAnode enhancing corrosion protection, Schottel HTG (high torque gear) technology and the latest high-performance nozzles SDC40 and SDV45. To date, more than 1,000 Schottel rudder propellers types 490 and 460 have been sold.
For more information, visit www.schottel.de.