Articulated tug and remote helm for floating hotel

Question of Regulations Permitting a Design

yodani, I think the key to designing a solution is to find some means of dialog with the regulatory agency?

At this point, you've described several of the limits of the regulations but you've not explored if the concept you are discussing will even be permitted? I think the target has to be stopped to improve the accuracy of your aim - hitting a moving 'regulatory' target is probably not possible?

Fixing the regulatory agency to a hard and fast determination of what is acceptable under the new regulation and what is not acceptable would go along to making your choices of design more realistic.

I would suggest you create a series of diagrammatic illustrations like those in the posts above, approach the agency and get some sort of formal acceptance of concept as satisfying the regulatory goals or language.

Absent this agreement, you cannot engineer for yourself, or wisely spend engineering consulting monies toward a single goal. Instead you'd be doing 'research' for the agency and any other floating hotel operators!

My idea of a solution is to build a very short waterline 'tug' that would lash to the entire stern of the "floatel" - this would create a 'drive unit' but could not be counted as a modification of the floatel to become passenger vessel as it would be lashed on, and a separate hull.

This unit would be 'steered' by remote (RF and Servos off the shelf technology) or overridden by crew, when running free of the floatel so it is counted its 'own' craft.

The existing tugs are already in hand so the investment is limited to the specially designed pushers, and the entire train is two vessels for travel but three for regulatory purposes.

In stead of putting a hydraulically articulated joint between the floatel hull and the pusher, I'd suggest a 'kitchen' rudder or some other enhanced steering system to make the connection between the hulls purely lashings not mechanically pinned- I feel the latter means may open your idea to more regulatory intervention than it will solve.

I believe a vaguely similar issue was solved an American Marine Architect on the Mississippi River some time ago by creating a barge stern which 'received' the push boat's bow and when lashed together the steerage was as one unit. Next, if I recall the tugs' designs they had pilot houses that were extendable -hydraulically raising up to see over their barge/load.

Interesting project, wonder how may accidents and 'run-a-way' floating hotels have been happening that a 'new regulation' was needed?

cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK, USA

 

Not to ruffle any feathers but most laws seem to be written by lawyers and the primary professional skill of lawyers sometimes seem to be knowing how to avoid the law.

I sometimes suspect that they write laws mainly to ensure full employment for lawyers....

 

All I can say is that I have a lot of experience with tug pulling, about 25 years of that... but not much with push tugging. We do the occasional pushing but that is for short distances and usually for maneuvering into harbor.

Tug pulling in itself its a real art and involves the captain of the tug plus the captain of the barge. They both complete each other when mooring or departing. The reason for the regulation is that there is no control over the barge in case of an emergency unless you turn the boat against the current.

Another regulation for transporting passengers I think but am not sure - you need to have two engines or so.

 

Hi Kevin,

Thank you for the comprehensive response. We have a local boat owner association and we are pushing the buttons on the authorities. Till now we came a long way as they wanted to forbid totally our activity and we convinced them to make a derogation for the Danube Delta only.

The problem lies in the fact that in Europe front towing is not used anymore on internal waters and so it was not specifically mentioned in the law, hence the confusion when the law was translated into Romanian. It took us two years to make them come to their senses. Now they come every year with more and more regulation so I am trying to anticipate the worst and be prepared for it or close shop.

I am looking for alternatives to see if modifying the way of tugging will be possible without complicating things.

Cheers,
Daniel

 

This thing steers exactly how you want, the tug pushes and is controlled remotely. Contact info at link

http://www.tikkibeach.com/tikki.html

 

While I think that's very cool, as are many things that don't involve having a large lawn to mow (including ground cover), I think I would maybe splurge for having the name not look like someone had written on the barge in chalk.

 

That looks promising apart from the looks... but if it makes money what the heck.

I looked for info about that but could not find a single thing. do you have extra info?

What about a truck fifth wheel connection? -
http://ww1.safholland.ro/quicklit/SAF-HOLLAND_Fifth_Wheel_Fact_Book_en-DE.pdf

http://www.fifth-wheel.net/

http://www.fleetequipmentmag.com/good-connections-and-safe-landings/

 

Would a tractor tug with azimuth props in a (reversed) articulated tug barge configuration work?

 

What do you mean reverse? Could you elaborate?

 

Sure, sorry. Start with the standard articulated tug barge layout. Barge at front, tug at the back, articulated in pitch only. By reverse I mean the same components/layout but going astern, i.e. with the pusher (which now becomes tractor) tug at the font. Optimise for this new direction. Azimuth (maybe even pulling) props so they are low enough so wash goes under the combined bottom, etc.

 

Random aside: is it just me or does that look like the styling employed with many catamarans?

 

One more variant

 

That seems complicated and eould require to build a new boat.... 32m of it...

Have been looking at Scania's new marine engines for remote control.

 

- Not a new boat
You can just find a long enough tube and weld it to the old tug boat.

- Yes, you're absolutely correct. "Asipods" would be better.