On December 13, 2013 the 6,000-kW ASD tug Ocean Tundra was commissioned into service for Ocean Group Inc. (Ocean) of Quebec City. 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 Îles 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, as shown in the accompanying photograph.
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 to Ice Class 1AS FS standards.
The vessel has been outfitted to the highest standards for a crew of up to ten people, although the normal operating crew for short runs is four, and for longer voyages with up to seven people.
On the main deck are located the galley, a generous mess room/lounge, and the spacious cabins for the Master and Chief Engineer, with a shared en-suite lavatory. In common with all the cabins, the bunks are located inboard to be isolated from cold exterior bulkheads and to minimize the motions experienced by crew members when resting. The lower deck contains four two person crew cabins, separate toilet and shower rooms, a laundry and galley stores.
The main propulsion for Ocean Tundra consists of a pair of MAK 9M25C diesel engines, each rated 3000 kW.
The electrical plant comprises three identical Caterpillar C9 diesel gen-sets with a power output of 250 ekW each., designed for independent or parallel operation.
The off-ship fire-fighting system is rated to about twice the Fire-Fighting 1 standard, with two pumps, each rated 2978 m³/hr at 11 bar.
For a video of the construction, visit youtube.com/watch?v=-QRK61ZE5MM.
For a video of the tug working in ice, please visit vimeo.com/92034945.