Baydelta Maritime's "Delta Billie" Rated Safest Oil Tanker Escort Tug on the Bay

    SAN FRANCISCO, CA, May 13, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Baydelta Maritime (http://www.baydeltamaritime.com) announced today that its newest tug "Delta Billie" has received the highest "Glosten" Kips ratings (breaking force in kips - 1 kip equals 1,000 lbs of force) for tanker escort work in the San Francisco Bay. The highest ratings received for any escort tug in the Bay mean that the Delta Billie can stop a disabled oil tanker in a shorter distance than was previously possible with lower rated tug escorts. Stopping a disabled oil tanker in a shorter distance can divert potential dangerous situations involving vessel traffic, shore installations and the environment.

"The 'Delta Billie' was delivered to Baydelta at Pier 15 on April 8, 2009 and to date has completed over 80 escort jobs" said Capt. Fed Henning, General Manager. "We're excited that we can now offer this improved level of safety to our customers that bring oil tankers into the Bay." The Delta Billie, 100 feet in length with a draft of 17', is equipped with 2 Caterpillar 3516C main engineers, 2 Caterpillar C9 auxiliary engines and 2 Rolls Royce 255 Azmuthing Z-drive propulsion units. Named after the wife of Jack Going, one of the owners of Baydelta, the "Delta Billie" will be officially christened on October 10, 2009.

Totally different standards are set for escort tug boats compared with conventional harbor tug boats in the San Francisco Bay. The California Oil Spill Prevention Act of 1990 established statutory Petroleum Tank Ship Escort requirements for regulations governing vessel movements in California ports and harbors. Included in the regulations is a requirement that all tank vessels carrying 5,000 or more long tons of oil as cargo employ a tugboat escort from the approaches to San Francisco Bay to any of, or between, the ports or anchorages within the bay. The regulations determine the minimum pulling capability of the tug, or tugs, escort based upon specific parameters including the dynamic pulling capability of the tug expressed in KIPS. The Marine Exchange of the Bay Area, as the secretariat for the State of California, monitors the KIPS required by the ship (www.sfmx.org). The California Office of Spill Prevention and Response's website publishes a list of compliant escort tugs along with their KIPS rating at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/ospr/reg_com/etip/etip_compliant_tugs_dec08.pdf

Baydelta Maritime, located at Pier 15 on the San Francisco waterfront, is a privately owned corporation, that has been serving the San Francisco Bay Area since 1982 offering ship assist, petroleum escort and general towing services throughout the San Francisco Bay area and offshore. For more information go to www.baydeltamaritime.com

Contact:
Jill Rodby
Rx2 Marketing Communications
415 847-6768
[email protected]

MEDIA NOTE: Further technical specifications are available. Tours and rides on the Delta Billie can be arranged upon request.

About Rx2 Marketing Communications

Rx2 Marketing Communications specializes in B2B marketing services for the maritime and international logistics industry.

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