Russia: Rosmorport’s First Ice TG04M Tow Boat Hits the Water

A solemn ceremony of setting afloat the first ice tow-tug for the needs of the FSUE “Rosmorport” Azov Basin Branch was held recently at the Nizhegorodsky Teplokhod Shipyard.

This is the first of the two TG04M ice tow-tugs the carcasses of which were laid down on December 8, 2011. The project of the boat was drafted in accordance with the requirements for “О” 2,0 (ice 30) А rank of the Russian River Register. Notably, the ice category was intentionally made higher than the one recommended by the Russian River Register Rules for the “О” 2,0 boats. Navigation area of the boat – water basins and estuaries of rivers with an “О”-rank sea regime of navigation

The new tow-tug is equipped by modern communication and navigation systems, and is designed for towing, tugging and delivering pilots or state supervision committees members to vessels. The boat can fit up to 12 people for harbor transportation. It is planned to use it in order to provide navigation safety during harbor works on the operational roads of the seaports of Rostov-on-Don and Azov, which are quite busy, and for safe pilotages of boats during drawing of the railway bridge in Rostov-on-Don all the year round. In autumn and winter, during ice navigation, the tow-boats will be used for delivering state supervision committees and pilots to vessels.

Main specifications of a tow boat:

overall length /20.96 m;

overall width / 6.6 m;

tonnage / 126.6 tons;

draught / 1.8 m;

main engine power / 2х221 kW (600 h.p.);

tow force of landfast / about 6.5 tons;

rated tow force of can hook / 71 кН.

[mappress]

Shipbuilding Tribune Staff, August 22, 2012; Image: rosmorport