IT’S ‘PATTI BUILT’ · bia, Canada, and built by Patti Marine Enterprises in Pensaco-la. Tw...
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SECTION E SUNDAY, JULY 13, 2014 » PENSACOLA NEWS JOURNAL » PNJ.COM COAST LIFE When is a tug boat not just a tug boat? When it is a hybrid tug commissioned by Signet Maritime Corp., Houston, Tex- as, designed by Robert Allan Ltd., Vancouver, British Colum- bia, Canada, and built by Patti Marine Enterprises in Pensaco- la. Two105-foot “Patti Built” state-of-the-art tug boats have been launched since April. The first was named Signet Arctu- rus. Its sister ship, launched June 16, is Signet Polaris. Signet, expanding its off- shore towing, rig escort, and subsea operations, wanted a specialized vessel capable of “providing our customers the best of both worlds in strength and agility,” said Joseph W. Dahl, vice president of Signet Maritime. “By bundling con- trollable pitch propeller tractor technology with the brute strength of Signet Warhorse tugs, we did.” That strength and agility comes from two Caterpillar C175-16 main engines. “The designer wanted the biggest engines available to provide the most Bollard pull, which is a conventional mea- sure of pulling/towing power of watercraft,” said Frank Patti Jr., president of Patti Marine. “The Caterpillar engines we installed are on some vessels, but are not in widespread pro- duction yet.” With all that horsepower came other hurdles. The added weight meant the vessel fell under the United States Coast Guard Subchapter 1 Certificate of Inspection criteria because of its displacement (tonnage volume). “All tanks and welds were inspected and X-rayed,” Patti said, “every bolt and screw examined. It literally meant thousands more man-hours in construction time to become USCG inspected. I don’t know of any other tug boats this size in the U.S. that are USCG in- spected besides Arcturus and Polaris.” Both tugs are American Bureau of Shipping certified for International Air Pollution Prevention, International Oil IT’S A TUG BOAT IT’S A FIRE BOAT IT’S ‘PATTI BUILT’ Hybrid has both strength and agility By Julie B. Connerley News Journal correspondent Capt. Brian Waters, left, and Frank Patti Jr., president of Patti Marine Enterprises, chat on the Signet Polaris, a new state-of-the-art hybrid tug boat. PHOTOS BY JULIE B. CONNERLEY/[email protected] See BOATS » 4E H ave you noticed a little sizzle to the seats getting into your cars lately? Even if you have cloth seats, I’ll bet you still have to work to avoid touching the metal buckle in your seat belt strap when you’re locking in. The gearshift and steering wheel probably aren’t any fun either. That’s right. Welcome to summertime in Pensacola. It’s hot, plain and simple. It’s no surprise, seeing as how this is July, but knowing ahead of time that the misery is coming doesn’t make it any better when it arrives. There’s something about those 10 months of not getting blasted by invisible yet dead- ly waves of heat when we open the car door that makes us forget the reality of it. It’s a lot like childbirth in that way (just ask any mom of more than one child if you don’t get the comparison). It’s also tempting to tell ourselves that getting rain most afternoons helps the situation. Anyone, however, who has ever watched the resulting steam rise from the asphalt afterward knows it doesn’t help much. It only adds moisture to the al- ready-95 percent humidity, which may be a slight exag- geration. On some days, it’s no exaggeration at all. So, why do we do this to ourselves? We could live somewhere else. Beside the most straightforward answer being that Pensacola is our home, it’s also a matter of percentages. We put up with two months of scooting from our air-conditioned homes to our air-conditioned cars to our air-conditioned job loca- tions in order to luxuriate in the other 10 months of mostly great weather. It’s a fair trade. If you do work outside, especially in the blazing sun, you have my respect. You’re a summertime superhero. It’s one thing to hit the beach or the river or the ballfields and stay safe in the heat as part of your fun. It’s a whole differ- ent thing to have to work and be productive as you drip sweat and feel various sec- tions of your skin start to crisp. While the heat does war- rant caution, it doesn’t mean everything bad. It also means the swimming water feels much cooler. The air push from a box fan can make your day. Popsicles and ice cream hit that dry spot when the sun is beating down on you. This is my public service reminder to pause often and enjoy the small pleasures the season has to offer. It will make the difference. Well, that and a freezer full of iced treats. SOUTHERN PERSPECTIVE Welcome to summertime in Northwest Florida LINDA A.B. DAVIS Southern Perspective
Transcript of IT’S ‘PATTI BUILT’ · bia, Canada, and built by Patti Marine Enterprises in Pensaco-la. Tw...
SECT ION ESUNDAY, JULY 13, 2014 » PENSACOLA NEWS JOURNAL » PNJ.COM
COAST LIFE
When is a tug boat not just atug boat?When it is a hybridtug commissioned by SignetMaritime Corp., Houston, Tex-as, designed by Robert AllanLtd., Vancouver, British Colum-bia, Canada, and built by PattiMarine Enterprises in Pensaco-la.
Two105-foot “Patti Built”state-of-the-art tug boats havebeen launched since April. Thefirst was named Signet Arctu-rus. Its sister ship, launchedJune16, is Signet Polaris.
Signet, expanding its off-shore towing, rig escort, andsubsea operations, wanted aspecialized vessel capable of“providing our customers thebest of both worlds in strengthand agility,” said JosephW.
Dahl, vice president of SignetMaritime. “By bundling con-trollable pitch propeller tractortechnology with the brutestrength of SignetWarhorsetugs, we did.”
That strength and agilitycomes from two Caterpillar
C175-16main engines.“The designer wanted the
biggest engines available toprovide themost Bollard pull,which is a conventional mea-sure of pulling/towing power ofwatercraft,” said Frank PattiJr., president of Patti Marine.
“The Caterpillar engines weinstalled are on some vessels,but are not in widespread pro-duction yet.”
With all that horsepowercame other hurdles. The addedweight meant the vessel fellunder the United States CoastGuard Subchapter 1Certificateof Inspection criteria becauseof its displacement (tonnagevolume).
“All tanks and welds wereinspected and X-rayed,” Pattisaid, “every bolt and screwexamined. It literally meantthousandsmoreman-hours inconstruction time to becomeUSCG inspected. I don’t knowof any other tug boats this sizein the U.S. that are USCG in-spected besides Arcturus andPolaris.”
Both tugs are AmericanBureau of Shipping certifiedfor International Air PollutionPrevention, International Oil
I T ’ S A TUG BOATI T ’ S A F IRE BOAT
IT’S‘PATTI BUILT’Hybrid has bothstrength and agility
By Julie B. ConnerleyNews Journal correspondent
Capt. Brian Waters, left, and Frank Patti Jr., president of Patti MarineEnterprises, chat on the Signet Polaris, a new state-of-the-art hybridtug boat. PHOTOS BY JULIE B. CONNERLEY/[email protected]
See BOATS » 4E
Have you noticed a littlesizzle to the seatsgetting into your cars
lately? Even if you have clothseats, I’ll bet you still have towork to avoid touching themetal buckle in your seat beltstrapwhen you’re locking in.The gearshift and steeringwheel probably aren’t any funeither. That’s right. Welcometo summertime in Pensacola.
It’s hot, plain and simple.It’s no surprise, seeing as howthis is July, but knowingahead of time that themiseryis coming doesn’t make it anybetter when it arrives.There’s something about
those10months of not gettingblasted by invisible yet dead-ly waves of heat whenweopen the car door thatmakesus forget the reality of it. It’sa lot like childbirth in thatway (just ask anymom ofmore than one child if youdon’t get the comparison).
It’s also tempting to tellourselves that getting rainmost afternoons helps thesituation. Anyone, however,who has ever watched theresulting steam rise from theasphalt afterward knows itdoesn’t helpmuch. It onlyaddsmoisture to the al-ready-95 percent humidity,whichmay be a slight exag-geration. On some days, it’sno exaggeration at all.
So, why dowe do this toourselves?We could livesomewhere else. Beside themost straightforward answerbeing that Pensacola is ourhome, it’s also amatter of
percentages.We put upwithtwomonths of scooting fromour air-conditioned homes toour air-conditioned cars toour air-conditioned job loca-tions in order to luxuriate inthe other10months ofmostlygreat weather. It’s a fairtrade.
If you dowork outside,especially in the blazing sun,you havemy respect. You’re asummertime superhero. It’sone thing to hit the beach orthe river or the ballfields andstay safe in the heat as part ofyour fun. It’s a whole differ-ent thing to have to work andbe productive as you drip
sweat and feel various sec-tions of your skin start tocrisp.
While the heat does war-rant caution, it doesn’t meaneverything bad. It alsomeansthe swimmingwater feelsmuch cooler. The air pushfrom a box fan canmake yourday. Popsicles and ice creamhit that dry spot when the sunis beating down on you.
This ismy public servicereminder to pause often andenjoy the small pleasures theseason has to offer. It willmake the difference.Well,that and a freezer full of icedtreats.
SOUTHERN PERSPECTIVE
Welcome to summertime in Northwest FloridaLINDAA.B. DAVISSouthernPerspective
