Robert Allan Ltd. In Manaus

There are probably more Robert Allan-designed ship docking tugs under construction world wide than any other design. So it is not surprising to see one under construction at the Estaleiros Rio Negro Ltda. (ERIN Shipyard) in Manaus, Brazil. It is undoubtedly the only Rampat 2400 being built in a yard1000 miles from the sea. But then Manaus, like so much of contemporary Brazil demands superlatives for accuracy.

The first of three Rampart 2400 ship docking tugs under construction at the yard is showing the distinctive Robert Allan Ltd. lines. From the fine underwater taper on the stern that allows remarkable bollard pull when working a line off the bow to the well-proportioned deck and wheelhouses. This is a profile familiar in a growing number of the world’s major ports. The smaller version of the Rampart design will be handling ships loading soybean at the Itacoatiara Port for Hermosa Logistics some 260 km downriver from Manaus. While the maximum length of ship to be handled at the birth is limited to 255 meters, there is typically a four-knot current at the birth. This could all make for tricky landings, but ships are provided with an experienced mooring master for the occasion. Each of the tugs will be powered by a pair of Tier 2, Cummins QSK38-M engines producing 1400 HP at 1800 RPM each and turning Rolls Royce US155 model azimuth drives. Once in service these boats will do much to ease a challenging docking situation.