Other Tugs
There are four main classifications of tugs operating in the canal depending upon their drive unit. These are the Voith-Schneider cycloidal drive, the Shottel drive where the propeller axis can rotate 360° in a horizontal plane, the propeller in a Kort nozzle with rudders ahead as well as behind the nozzle, and the conventional propeller drive. These are further subdivided into tractor tugs where the propeller is at the bow (Voith-Schneider and Shottel drives) and "conventional" tugs where the propeller is located at the stern (all except Shottel)
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This picture of the Gilberto Guardia shows the bow wave set up as she passed us at a nice clip. |
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This is the Gilberto Guardia holding a large Ro-Ro against the center wall of the Miraflores locks after the lines from the mules was cast off. It has the Voith-Schneider cycloidal drive with two 2,000 hp engines. |
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This is Captain Samuel Jimenez on the bridge deck of the tug Gilberto Guardia. |
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This is the Gilberto Guardia as she is leaving Pedro Miguel Locks for Gaillard Cut with the Ro-Ro, and a catamaran. During the uplocking, the catamaran was tied to the Guardia, which in trun was tied to the tug Esperanza, which was tied to the lock wall. Thus only the Esperanza had to pull in mooring lines whiled the water level rose in the lock chamber. |
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A Ro-Ro being assisted by a tug prior to reaching the Pedro Miguel Locks. Notice the small clearance between the ship's hull and the tug's pilot house and exhaust stack. The Ro-Ro has bollards in small pockets extending into the hull. |
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The tractor tug Guia at Gamboa. It has the Voith-Schneider drive at the bow with two 1,500 hp engines. |
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A tug attached to a ship during transit of the Gaillard Cut. Most of the Canal tugs operate in the Southern Division because of this requirement for large ships. |
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The tractor tug Unidad has Voith Schneider drives at the bow with two 1,500 hp engines. |
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Tugs are used not only to assist ships but can perform firefighting or washdown operations. Here a tug was spraying water on buoys to clean them. |
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Last revised 08/10/01