Rescue boat makes a splash

The Spanish coastguard has added a new protection vessel with special capabilities for towing and cleaning up after oil spills to its rescue fleet.

Rolls-Royce designed and provided the main equipment for the Spanish Maritime Safety Authority's new vessel, Don Inda. It was built by Astilleros Zamakona, based at Santurce-Bilbao in Spain.

With a bollard pull of 220 tonnes, the primary role of the 80m-long vessel is towing tankers of unlimited size under adverse conditions.

Its towing winch is designed to use the full bollard pull capability. The main winch is a two-drum, hydraulic Rauma Brattvaag unit which takes 83mm wire and is capable of pulling 300 tonnes with a 550 tonne brake-holding load.

For escort work there is a winch on the foredeck with a 45-tonne pull/250-tonne brake load equipped with synthetic rope towlines. A strongly fendered reinforced bow allows the vessel to push disabled ships, and the aft deck layout is designed to give a clear lead for towlines.