Vancouver, Washington-based Tidewater Transportation &
Terminals took delivery of the second of a series of three towboats, the Granite
Point, on Dec. 22.
The vessel, built by Vigor Industrial’s Portland, Oregon
shipyard, follows towboat Crown Point, which began operations
along the Columbia Snake River this past May. Like the Crown Point, the Granite
Point is a custom-built vessel specifically designed by Maine-based naval
architects and marine engineers CT Marine.
Measuring 102 feet by 38 feet, with a depth at full load of
11 feet, the Granite Point has a
hexagonal wheelhouse with floor-to-ceiling windows on all six sides.
“We are proud to have worked with Tidewater on Granite
Point,” Vigor Executive VP of Fabrication Corey Yraguen said. “Like its sister
ship Crown
Point, this vessel sets new standards for future towboat design.”
The Granite Point, named for a granite
cliff in Washington about 20 miles southwest of Pullman along the Snake River,
was built to the same specifications as the Crown Point and
forthcoming sister vessel, the Ryan Point.
The Granite Point is powered by two
Caterpillar 3516C EPA Tier 3 certified diesel engines each producing 2,240 BHP
at 1,600 RPM. The engines drive two 92-inch” by 100-inch fixed pitch, stainless
steel propellers through CT28 Kort Nozzles. The vessel’s capable of a service
speed of eight knots.
Electrical power is provided by two C7.1, Tier 3 generators,
rated at 480 V, 200 kW at 1,800 RPM. The generators are controlled through an
automatic transfer system that ensures the vessel can recover from a generator
power loss in less than 30 seconds.
Deck machinery includes seven Patterson WWP 65E-7.5, 65-ton
electric deck winches, with pilothouse remote operation and local push button
control stations on the main deck. Each winch has Samson 1 3/8” Turbo 75
Synthetic Line.
“The up-front work paid off,” Tidewater CEO Bob Curcio said.
“The vessels are fuel-efficient, ecologically-responsible, and are giving our captains
and crews exactly what they’d asked for.”
