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March 12, 2004

Welsh Towing Company Continues Growth

Holyhead Towing has added another boat to their diverse fleet of tugs and work boats. Like most of the vessels in the fleet, the Afon Alaw is named after a river on the Island of Anglesey where the company’s home port is located. (Afon is Welsh for river.)

This is the third vessel built for the company by Hepworth Shipyard of Paull, Kingston Upon Hull and will be the most powerful in a fleet that includes multicats, survey boats, fast crew boats and a large split hopper barge. The 25.5x9-metre tug has a molded depth of 3.6 metres which allows a shallow 2.4-metre working draft, this is important as a major focus of Holyhead Towing’s work is dredging and marine civil engineering support in shallow water. Their work also includes pipelay support and cable work throughout North West Europe and the Caspian Sea.

In addition to conventional towing, the versatile vessel is also suitable for anchor handling with a winch capable of 45 tonnes pull at nine metres per minute and for towing, a capacity of 400 metres of 44-mm towing wire. The transom is fitted with a 3.5-metre stern roller and hydraulic guide pins. A powered storage reel is in a hold below the after deck. A deck mounted 90 t/m Heila HLRM 90/55 hydraulic crane has a capacity of 29.7 tonne at 2.89 metres extension and 5.1 tonne at 14.47 metres.

The Afon Alaw’s main engines are a pair of Cummins KTA 38M2 engines delivering a total of 2600 BHP through ZF gearboxes to propellers in fixed Kort nozzles. Giving her a free running speed of about 11.5 knots and a bollard pull of about 35 tons. As with most of the vessels in the fleetAfon Alaw is fitted with box coolers to allow shallow water work. The tug is also fitted with high lift rudders and a bow thruster. Electrical service is met with a pair of Cummins-powered 50 Kva generator sets. Hydraulics are provided for by a Cummin hydraulic power-pack.

The hardwood covered working deck can be fitted with a 30 tonne A-frame. A towing hook is also fitted aft of the towing winch. Tankage includes 100 cubic metres for fuel, 12 cubic metres of domestic water with another 60 cubic metres for ballast or supply water. Fuel and freshwater supply pumps facilitate support to dredges and other floating equipment.

The Afon Alawl is the most powerful tug in the Holyhead Towing fleet and is a part of a process of continuing fleet development and expansion. "Reliability is critical," says General Manager James Burns with regard to the selection of Cummins power, "an engine breakdown on one of our support vessels can have serious knock on effects with a large project so our dredging customers expect high reliability and back up service."

For further information:

James Burns
General Manager
Holyhead Towing
Newry Beach Yard
Holyhead Anglesey LL65 1YB
North Wales, UK.
Telephone: +44 (0)1407-760111
Fax: +44 (0)1407-764531
Email: towing@holyhead.co.uk
URL: www.holyhead.co.uk

Hepworth Shipyard Ltd Main Street
Paull
Kingston Upon Hull
HU12 8AN
Tel: (01482) 338817
Fax: (01482) 338820
E-Mail: hepworths@rix.co.uk

Kevin Brown
Marine Sales Manager
Cummins Diesel
Rutherford Drive
Park Farm South
Wellingborough
Northants NN8 6AN
United Kingdom
Tel: [44-1933] 334200
Fax: [44-1933] 334198
E-Mail: kevin.brown@cummins.com

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