Signet Maritime has taken delivery of its ninth technologically advanced ASD tug in less than four years.
The SIGNET VIGILANT was constructed at Signet Shipbuilding & Repair in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The 30 metric tonne bollard pull, EPA Tier 3 compliant, ASD vessel, delivered in Q4 2014, is the first Castleman Maritime design for Signet. The new tug will operate from Signet’s Pascagoula Division, where she will perform rig escort, ship assist and barge assist work.
The SIGNET VIGILANT's compact design will allow Signet operators improved capabilities to assist marine vessels in tight quarters and shallow inland waterways. The environmentally friendly tug will have reduced exhaust and lower fuel consumption to meet EPA Tier 3 marine emission regulations.
At 72 feet in length and with a beam of 28 feet, the SIGNET VIGILANT is powered by two MTU Model 8V-4000 M54 Tier 3 engines delivering a combined total of 2400 BHP at 1800 RPM. The engines drive two Rolls Royce US 155 P12-FP azimuth propulsion units. Electrical power is provided by two John Deere 4045AFM85 EPA Tier 3 engines coupled to 65-KW Marathon Magnaplus™ generators. Deck machinery includes a Markey DEPC-32, 20 HP winch on the bow, and two Patterson WWP40E 40-ton facing winches on the stern. The hawser winch capacity is 525 feet of 6.5-inch circumference Saturn 12™ synthetic line.
Captain Mark Sutera, vessel master of the newest Signet tug reports, “The SIGNET VIGILANT exhibits strength in areas of maneuverability and size. The vessel performs multi-disciplinary work ranging from docking large tankers, drilling rigs, and ATBs, to shifting barges. The lean dimensions allow her to maneuver in tight quarters without compromising the job. She is outfitted with state-of-the-art navigation equipment and first-class accommodations for the captain and crew. While working in the Port of Pascagoula, the bar pilots favor the SIGNET VIGILANT for her strength and specific capabilities.”
The SIGNET VIGILANT is named after Vigilant, the victorious United States defender of the eighth America’s Cup in 1893. This vessel was designed, built and skippered by Nathanael Greene Herreshoff and was the first of his five victorious America’s Cup defender designs
Signet currently operates 42 vessels providing marine transportation and logistics services and is expanding its fleet to meet the growing demands from the flurry of activity along the Gulf and East Coasts. The tug will be operated under Signet’s ABS-certified International Safety Management (ISM) and ISO 9001-2008 Quality Management Systems.
For additional information regarding Signet’s vessels, accomplishments or their eight US and Dubai locations, please visit Signet Maritime Corporation’s website at www.SignetMaritime.com.
