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September 3, 2003

Seaspan Adds Two More KTA38s

With a little over a month and several hundred hours on the KTA38 engines of the newly built Seaspan Tempest and Seaspan Venture, British Columbia’s largest towing company, Seaspan International has installed another pair of Cummins KTA38s in their 83-foot (25.3 m) tug Seaspan Cavalier.

The Cavalier is one of four in her class, the others are the Seaspan Cutlass, Seaspan Crusader, and Seaspan Corsair. Built in 1975 at Vancouver Shipyards, the Cavalier returned to the same yard, an associated company with Seaspan, for the installation of the new engines. These are the third set of engines for the 27 year old tug, but the first Cummins. "We had already done our homework on the Cummins engines for the Tempest and Venture," said a company representative, "So when it came time to repower the Cavalier and the price was right, we went with these engines again."

With the two engines at a continuous duty rating of 800 HP each the tug will have a combined 1600 HP turning its three-blade 79.375-inch propellers in Kort nozzles. The existing massive Lufkin Model RS3614 gears with their 6.987:1 reduction were retained. New gauges and controls were installed. The boat carries 18,000 Imperial (21,617 US) gallons of fuel, 320 gallons of lube oil and 2500 Imperial gallons of fresh water. A single drum Burrard towing winch is mounted on the aft deck with 1800 feet (549 metres) of 1 3/4-inch (44.45 mm) wire. The Seaspan Cavalier typically tows wood chip and fuel barges in inside waters but makes some trips to places such as Port Alice on the outside of Vancouver Island.

The installation was simplified by cutting a large section (about 10x12 feet) from the tug’s starboard side through which first the port side engine was installed and then the starboard engine. Given the relatively small size of the modern engines, the job was completed in relatively short order and the tug is expected back in service by late September .

For further information:

Marc McAllister
Dir. Vessel Repair, Maintenance & Construction
Vancouver Shipyards
10 Pemberton Avenue
North Vancouver, B.C.
V7P 2R1
Canada
Phone: (604) 990 3207
Fax: (604) 990 3252
E-Mail: mmcallister@vanship.com

Cary Griffith
Marine & Industrial Engine Sales
Cummins British Columbia
18452 - 96th Avenue
Surrey, BC V4N 3P8
Canada
Phone: 604 882 5726
Fax: 604 985 3936
E-Mail: Cary.J.Griffiths@Cummins.com

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