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UME MARU

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Photographer:
lappino [ View profile ]
Captured:
Oct 13, 2018
Title:
Ume Maru
Location:
Onomichi, Japan
Photo Category:
Tugs
Added:
Oct 15, 2018
Views:
2,677
Image Resolution:
2,919 x 1,642

Description:

This is a weird circular workboat / tug that I saw at Mukaishima Dock shipyard in Onomichi; I knew there must be some information available on it. And so it was:

The Japan Society of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers "Ship of the Year 2016" award, category "Fishing/Work Vessels". This unique round shaped tugboat was created through a totally new concept of externally attaching a full slewing thruster to a towed ship. It can be easily operated by this single-lever-controlled slewing thruster. Adsorption equipment can eliminate the tug line, saving 2 workmen from handling ropes.

https://www.jasnaoe.or.jp/en/soy/2016.html

So now I understand that the contraption on the left is used to "suck up" to an unsuspecting vessel and, voila!, you've been tugged! :)

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person
Videos of this tug: https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?3617827-The-circular-tug-update

There's a dry dock photo showing it indeed has a single azimuth thruster in the middle, so I'm wondering...

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person
Haha, only Japanese can come up with something like a circular vacuum tug!

Push indeed, there are hooks for towing can be seen. I would guess those vacuum pads are for keeping the tug upright while applying thrust & to keep attached in place if thrust is applied at some angle.

Some article: https://www.bairdmaritime.com/work-boat-world/tug-and-salvage-world/harbour-tugs-and-operation/column-in-praise-of-a-fixed-mindset-tug-times/
Specs & drawings: https://www.simpleplanes.com/a/284361/Japanese-Tugboat-UMEMARU

What I don't seem to get is how to steer such tug with a single azimuth thruster in the middle of it?

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person
Thanks for the working link, David. (I was sure the original one was working before...)

Anyway, somehow I still think that once those disks take hold, just like those glass adsorption pads of cat burglars, it's possible to either push or pull...

Cheers

Vlad

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person
More push than tug I suspect!

That URL doesn't work for me, but try
https://www.jasnaoe.or.jp/en/soy/2016.html

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