New JonRie winch is a brown water workhorse

Liz Healy

OCTOBER 11, 2017 — The Liz Healy, third in a series of 60 ton bollard pull ASD towboats built for Bisso Towboat Company, Luling, LA, by Main Iron Works, Houma, LA, has a new brown water workhorse Series 230 Assist Winch by JonRie InterTech, LLC, Manahawkin, NJ.

The 100 ft  x 38 ft x 18 ft tug is powered by two Caterpillar 3516C EPA Tier 3 main engines each producing 2,240 HP at 1,600 rev/min. Propulsion is by two Rolls-Royce US 205 FP Z-drives featuring four bladed stainless steel propellers set in stainless steel nozzles.

The winch features JonRie’s innovative independent drive level wind with a Logan clutch also installed. When the winch is heaving or paying out hawser, the level wind drive is engaged and, when the tug is working under heavy ship assist loads, the level wind is unclutched. This feature will help reduce the counter loading on the level wind when the tug is working with a ship. The independent level wind will allow the spooler carriage to move faster than the drum to cross weave rope or adjusted to any speed required, the unit can be stopped and run in manual to any position on the drum.

The controls are all at hands’ length in the pilot house to be used by the Master.

The JonRie Series 230 winch also features a larger drum to accommodate more hawser (500′ of 8″) and has a brake rated at 300 tons. It has a line pull of 15 tons and a line speed of 100 FPM. The system also comes complete with JonRie’s innovate foot control to allow the master to run winch without taking his hands off the Z Drive controls.

JonRie’s Active Heave Compensation System allows the winch to pay out at a high speed in a controlled free wheel mode to help the tug maneuver in the strong Mississippi currents.

The system includes a hawser scope meter and back light tension meter with dimmer for use during night operations on the river.