I [Bob Vincent] spent this past Tuesday [May 31, 2011] aboard C Tractor 7 escorting and docking the USS John C. Stennis at Naval Air Station North Island.
For details about this tug go to: www.tugboatinformation.com/tug.cfm?id=1055.
The tug can be controlled from either end by two independent drive units with 360 degrees of rotation.
The rubber bumpers below the water line provide protection against hull to hull contact with submarines.
Each Ulstein “Z Drive” unit is connected to its own 1,200 hp diesel, and independently controlled by the pilot.
Three tugs; two on either side of the bow and one on the port stern quarter escort/dock US Navy ships.
As the USS John C. Stennis enters the bay, C Tractor 7 continues to maneuver closer to the Starboard bow.
Each tug is “connected” to the hull of the ship being maneuvered so that the tugs can either "push" or "pull".
With all 32 docking lines connected and the security barrier closed, the USS John C. Stennis is now secure.
This was one of the most dynamic boating events that I have ever witnessed...
- by Bob Vincent