The 76-foot tugboat Jekyll Isle has been delivered by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding Corporation of Somerset, Mass., to Jekyll Towing and Marine Services Corporation of Jekyll Island, Ga. Equipped with a wide array of deck gear and electronics, the new vessel is the latest in a series of innovative tugs designed and built by Gladding-Hearn during the yard's 25 years of operation.
Main propulsion power is supplied by two GM Detroit Diesel Allison 16V-92 engines with a total output of 1,200 bhp at 1,800 rpm, giving a free-running speed of 11.3 knots. At cruising speed the boat has a range of 4,000 miles, and she can operate for up to 20 days at sea without resupplying when on low-fuel operation, such as maintaining a station-holding pattern. Fuel capacity is 13,000 gallons, and her 550-gallon water tanks can be replenished by a 150-gpd Maxim evaporator.
The Jekyll Isle is fitted with fuel-saving Kort nozzles, and she has a bollard pull of 17 1/2 tons. The vessel has both U.S. Coast Guard and American Bureau of Shipping certification for Unrestricted Ocean Service, and meets USCG stability standards for towing, passenger service, and over-the-side crane lifts with up to 24-foot outreach.
Two Detroit Diesel 3-71 diesel generators supply 30 kw each. The electrical system is designed for non-parallel operation. Two banks of 12-volt dc batteries power electronics, emergency lighting, and auxiliary engine starting. Main engine starting and certain specialized electronics are powered by a 24-volt dc system.
Deck gear includes three winches, a knuckle-boom crane, 25-ton, pneumatic-release towing hook, and a 6-ton hydraulic A-frame. The latter lowers to the deck while the vessel is in the towing mode. An aft steering station — with controls for the A-frame, main winch, knuckle-boom crane, and hydro-winch—and a 600-watt searchlight for aft maneuvering are located on a walkway behind the pilothouse.
The vessel's electronics include a Wagner autopilot, Raytheon 1025 radar, a smaller Raytheon backup radar, Simrad EQ depth recorder with MC expander system, and Wesmar scanning sonar and Towfish sonar. Loran is a Raytheon 600 with navigational computer including latitude and longitude readout. Radios are two Nautilus VHFs and one 1,000-watt SSB. For routing and operational planning she carries a Furuno facsimile weatherfax system.
The boat is designed for crew and passenger comfort as well as performance. For coastal day trips she can carry a master and up to 12 passengers. For offshore missions she has four berths located in the forecastle and two in the dinette area, providing accommodations for four crewmen and three to four guests. The vessel has central heating and air-conditioning throughout.