MAY 9, 2013—Crowley Maritime Corp. took delivery of the 10,880-bhp Ocean Sun, the third of four Ocean Class tugs from Bollinger Marine Fabricators, Amelia, LA. The steel-hulled Ocean Sun is the first DP 2 class tug in the series, measuring 156 feet in length, with a beam of 46 feet and a design draft of 21 feet.

Propulsion power is supplied by two EPA Tier 2-compliant Caterpillar C-280-12 main diesel engines rated at 5,440 bhp each. The engines drive two nozzled controllable-pitch, four-blade propellers via Reintjes LAF 5666 reduction gears. The service speed will be 16 knots with an impressive 165 short ton bollard pull.

The Ocean Sun is classed by ABS as A-1 Towing, AMS, Firefighting Class-1, DP-2, Green Passport, with SOLAS and International Load Line certificate.

Kongsberg Maritime supplied the dynamic positioning system for the Ocean Sun. The DP-2 class tug has two 500-hp Berg VFD bow thrusters and one 500-hp Berg stern thruster.

The Ocean Sun is outfitted for long-range, high-capacity ocean towing, rig moves, platform and floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit tows, emergency response and firefighting. It is outfitted with a towing winch and bow winch supplied by Intercon. There’s also a 25-ton-capacity aft deck crane and a 5-ton-capacity fo’c’sle deck crane.

The Ocean Sun’s sister tug, Ocean Sky, also classed DP2, is preparing for sea-trials, and delivery this summer, says Bollinger Marine Fabricators (BMF).

BMF delivered the DP 1 class Ocean Wave (shown in photo) and Ocean Wind in the fourth quarter of 2012. Both vessels have been busy in support of energy projects in the U.S. Gulf for a major customer in the global oil and gas industry.