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Moran Adds Eight Z-Drive Tractor Tugs To Its Fleet
 Over the last several years, Moran has been aggressively upgrading its fleet, but the pace of this ugrade effort significantly increased in 1999. On December 1, 1998, the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command confirmed that Moran had been awarded a contact to provide tractor tugs to replace the Navy's yard tug boats (YTB's) at its Norfolk Navel Station and at the Naval Amphibious Base at Little Creek, Virginia. Since the mid-80s, the Navy has been systematically decommissioning its aging YTB fleet at its bases around the world and replacing the YTBs with time-charter contracts with commercial tug boat companies. Competition among tug boat operators for these contracts has been intense. For Moran, obtaining the Norfolk contract was perticularly important, not only because Norfolk is the largest naval base in the world, but also because Moran has a long history of providing tug boat services to the Navy, in general, and Norfolk in particular. A significant aspect of the terms of the Navy's Request for Proposal (RFP) for this coveted contract required that Moran be able to supply the Navy with eight low-profile, highly maneuverable tractor tugs, with twin 360 degree azimuthing propulsion units within a relatively narrow time horizon. Becuase of its prior experience in providing services to the Navy at Norfolk, Moran felt that it coul;d readily provide the skilled people and expertise required by the contract, but porviding the equipment in the required time frame represented a significant challenge.
 Planning the logistics of the construction of the tugs that would be required if Moran wonthe Norfolf contract began as part of the response to the Navy's RFP. Before proopsing to the Navy that it would deliver eight Z-drive tractors tugs with state-of-the-art specifications, Moran had to thoroughly develop its plan for implementing the required delivery schedule. Moran decided to place into service in February 1999, as the first tug under the Navy contract, an existing Z-drive tugs that it had available under a time charter. After conferring with a naval architec, Paul A. Gow, it was decided that two exisiting tugs, the KERRY MORAN and the PATRICIA MORAN were suitabe for conversion from 3,000 HP conventional twin-screw diesel electric tugs to 4,200 HP Z-drive reverse tractors. Based on design specifications, after their conversion, these tugs would have all the capabilities for newly constructed equipment. The existing shafting, struts, propellers, rudders and steering gear were replaced with two 2,100 HP EMD diesels, Ulstein Z drives, Markey capstans, staples, and fendering. The existing pilothouses and stacks were also replaced with lower twin stacks and low-profile profile pilothouses that were located further aft to provide the captain with better visability in all directions. The lower profile was also better suited for work in the confined spaces associated with naval ship work. The replacement of the existing populsion machinery left enough space to install a diesel drive 3,000 GPM fire pump that would be connected to a fore and aft-1.500 GPM water/foam monitor. The Hendry Corporation shipyard in Tampa, Florida, did the conversion work. Converdion of the PATRICIA MORAN was completed in September 1999, and the KERRY MORAN was completed in November 1999. Both tugs are now in service under the Navy time-charter contract.
Prior to learning that it had won the Navy contract at Norfolk, Moran contracted wutg Washburn & Doughty Associates, Inc. of East Boothbay, Maine, for the construction of one new 92-foot 4,200 HP Z-drive tug. After winning the Navy contract, Moran increased the number of new tugs to be built by Washburn & Doughty to six. This, then, became the largest new tug construction order ever awarded to Washburn & Doughty. To meet the required delivery schedule, Washburn & Doughty utilized in-house computer assisted design technology that allowed it to more quickly make design adjustments during both the planning and construction phases and to electronically communicate these design changes to its subcontractors via email. Washburn & Doughty also developed new planning schedules for production and manning. Instead of building one complete tug at a time, the used a modular approach, building several wheelhouses at a seperate location and subcontracting out some the bulkier vessel pieces such as engine beds. Washburn & Doughty also significantly increased its production crew and created work routines that allowed workers to be more efficient by doing duplicate processes multiple times rater than doing one tug at a time.
 The new tractor tugs measure 92x32x13.8 ft. and are built to ABS Maltese Cross A1, AMS Towing Service Standards. The are powered by two 2,100 HP EMD 16-645-E6 main engines driving Ulstein Z drives located at the stern of the tug to provide pushing power equal to backing power. The wheelhouse design features 360-degree hi-lo visibility witht he height and width minimized to insure the tug's ability to work the extreme flairs and cut-aways of Navy vessels. A centrally located control station enables the tug to perform all maneuvers efficiently off the bow and stern. Equipment includes two VHF radios, two radars, a loud hailer, GPS, a depthfinder, tachometers, compasses, abd Z-drive control displays. The tugs are liberally fendered above and below the water line for handlingnall varieties of naval vessels, including submarines. It is anticipated that all of the new tugs will be in service under the Navy contract by the fall of 2000. The new tugs are names MARCI MORAN, KAREN MORAN, SUSAN MORAN, TRACT MORAN, WENDY MORAN, and SURRIE MORAN. They and their future sisters will be known as the Marci class.
To win the Navy contract, Moran had to convince the Navy that it could not only deliver the reliable service and skilled personnel that it had provided to the Navy in the past but also that it could deliver the necessary equipment in the time frame specified by the Navy. The planning and collaboration between Moran's management and its shipbuilders and naval architects provided this final element that enabled Moran to win this very desirable and pretigious contract.
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