Ocean Tundra – Canada’s Most Powerful Tug Enters Service

On December 13th, 2013 the 6000 kW ASD tug Ocean Tundra was commissioned into service for its Owners, Ocean Groupe Inc. (Ocean) of Quebec City, Canada. This icebreaking escort tug becomes the most powerful tug in Canadian registry, and heralds a new generation of extremely capable tugs which will provide the highest degree of year-round escort towing capability to Canada’s east coast and the St. Lawrence River and Seaway system.

The Ocean Tundra is the latest addition to the TundRA 100 series (with a nominal 100 tonnes Bollard Pull) of icebreaking tugs designed by Robert Allan Ltd., Naval Architects of Vancouver B.C.. This tug was built to the highest standards at Ocean’s own shipyard, Ocean Industries, on Iles aux Coudres, Quebec. The launching of this heavy tug was a major challenge for the shipyard, due to its high weight and draft. The tug was therefore launched with additional flotation provided by inflatable bags surrounding the hull.

This powerful tug has been designed to provide a wide range of services, including tanker escort, terminal support, general ship-docking operations and icebreaking/ice-management services in various ports along the St. Lawrence River. The vessel is also equipped for coastal and rescue towing and is equipped with a major fire-fighting capability. In addition the vessel is equipped to carry lube oil as cargo, for transfer to transiting ships.

The tug was built under the inspection of and classed by Lloyd’s Register of Shipping, with the following notation:

    100 A1 Escort Tug, Fire-Fighting 1 with water spray
    LMC, UMS
    Ice Class 1AS FS

Particulars of the Ocean Tundra are as follows:
Length overall:
Beam, moulded, extreme:
Depth, moulded (hull):
Maximum draft (DWL):  – 36.0 m
– 13.0 m
– 6.85 m
– 6.80 m

Tank capacities are:
Fuel Oil: 294 m³
Fresh Water: 18 m³
Foam: 11 m³
Z-drive Oil: 1.7 m³
Sludge: 5.4 m³
Oily Water: 5.4 m³
Main engine lube oil: 6.0 m³
Sewage: 7.6 m³
Cargo Lube Oil: 130 m³

The trials of this powerful tug were completed in early January 2014, with the following impressive results:
Bollard Pull, ahead
Free Running speed, ahead
Escort Steering Force (Predicted)
Range at 12 knots  – 110.3 tonnes
– 15.13 knots, calm water
– 122 tonnes at 10 knots
– 3700 nautical miles

This icebreaking hull form has been extensively model-tested to ensure superior performance in ice, as well as to provide the best possible open water and escort performance, bearing in mind the contradictory hull geometry requirements of those functions. The ice capabilities have been well demonstrated in similar slightly smaller tugs working in Sakhalin, Russia.

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Source: Robert Allan Ltd.