Tug News

Boluda Towage's tug Bremen Fighter passed all administrative procedures and inspections to officially operate, as of February 21, its maritime salvage activity under the German flag.Bremen Fighter is displaying the official German coast guard colors, with a commitment to protect maritime safety in the eastern Baltic Sea, under the command of German Federal Waterway Authorities. Bremen Fighter, an offshore tug, is the most powerful tug in the Boluda Towage fleet.Earlier , the German…

Turkish tug boat builder Sanmar Shipyards said that it has launched Odin of Scapa, first of the Orkney Islands Council (OIC) two new tugs, at its shipyard at Altinova in Turkey."The launch was on schedule and the program is currently within budget," informed the shipbuilder.Following a period of final fitting out, equipment commissioning and then sea trials the purpose-built tug will commence a three week passage from Turkey and is due to arrive at its new home in Scapa Flow in Orkney at the end of the second week in May.The second tug – Thor of Scapa – is ahead of schedule and is due to arrive in Orkney some 2 months after its sister ship.OIC’s Head of Marine Services…

Abu Dhabi Ports has signed an agreement with Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd to develop the world's first fully autonomous commercial marine tugs.The tugs will undertake operations with SAFEEN, Abu Dhabi Ports’ maritime service arm.One of the primary advantages of the innovative design includes greater capability, as shifting the human element from on-board to on-shore, will allow such vessels to operate in far more adverse weather conditions. Furthermore, the new technology will help increase efficiency and enhance operational safety.Abu Dhabi Ports will work closely with one of Canada’s oldest privately-owned Naval Architectural and Marine Engineering firms on the research and development of remotely-controlled marine tugs that will be fully unmanned…

Dutch shipbuilding major Damen Shipyards Group said that it has signed a contract with London construction services provider S. Walsh & Sons (Walsh) for a CS2010 pusher tug from Concordia Damen.The pusher will be available for quick delivery in summer this year as a result of Concordia Damen’s practice of building stock hulls, the shipbuilder said.The CS 2010 will join the growing Walsh marine fleet operating on the River Thames in the UK – including the Damen Multi Cat 1908 delivered in 2019. The new vessel will push barges on the river, transporting huge volumes of bulk freight in and out of London.On delivery it will go straight into action…

Rimorchiatori Riuniti has has acquired an azimuth tractor tug from Sanmar Shipyards to boost its operations in the port of Genoa, ItalyThe 25-m tug was upgraded, renamed Italia and deployed to provide towage services in Genoa.Sanmar had delivered a RAmparts 2400SX Class ASD Tug to the Genoese group back in 2014 and that tug has been re-named as Turchia which is currently giving towage service in the port of Genoa.Italia is an azimuth tractor tug, TRAktor-Z 2500SX designed by the distinguished Canadian designers “Robert Allan Ltd.” Principal dimensions are 25m by 12m and she can achieve 70 tonnes of bollard pull by means of 2 x CAT 3516C…

SCHOTTEL said it has secured a contract with Turkish shipbuilder Med Marine to provide propulsion units for a newly built escort and harbor tug. The Robert-Allan-designed tugboat is under construction at the Ereğli Shipyard in Northern Turkey. It will be used for harbor and terminal operations as well as for coastal towing.The main propulsion for the RAmparts 3200 tug consists of a pair of SCHOTTEL Rudderpropellers type SRP 460 CP – each driven by a diesel engine with 2,350 kW.

Canadian naval architectural firm Robert Allan Ltd (RAL) announced that  the TOR Group  shipyard in Tuzla Bay (Istanbul) has delivered the Ben Owusu-Mensah, the third of three RAstar 3300 tugs for Ghana Ports & Harbours Authority (GPHA).The new tugs are equipped to fulfill a multitude of missions for the GPHA, including but not limited to ship-assist, fire-fighting, and pollution response, said a press release from the ship designer."Driven by high speed engines and Z-drive propellers, the Ben Owusu-Mensah and its sisters comfortably meet all contractual performance requirements, including the achievement of 82 tonnes of bollard pull and speeds in excess of 14 knots on trial…

Japan's first LNG-fueled vessel, the tugboat Sakigake, on January 23 was supplied with LNG as fuel for the 100th time since the tugboat’s delivery in 2015.The vessel is owned by Japanese shipping company Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and operated by Shin-Nippon Kaiyosha, an NYK Group company.The LNG bunkering was conducted safely and efficiently from a tank truck at the No. 5 quay of Shinko, Yokohama, said a press release from the Tokyo-headquartered global logistics enterprise."NYK is making use of the expertise and know-how the company has obtained through LNG transportation over the years to expand its wide range of businesses to LNG-fuel supply and sale.

Sanlin Shipyard of Shanghai Harbour Fuxing Shipping Service Company delivered ASD 35/50 Tug Jin Gang Lun 34 to Tianjin Port.She joins the Port’s tugboat fleet and serves the main roles of harbour towing, berthing and unberthing visiting vessels, with additional function of fire-fighting and minor ice breaking.Following her sister vessel of Jin Gang Lun 33 which was delivered in November, Jin Gang Lun 34 is also custom designed in Canada by the Vancouver based naval architects Robert Allan Ltd. The vessel obtains CCS Notation of I (intelligent)-ship with sub-notation of “N” – intelligent navigation; “M” – intelligent machinery space; “E” – intelligent energy management…

Jiangsu Zhenjiang Shipyard in China has delivered Yong Gang Xiao Tuo 60, a dual fuel RAstar 3800-DF tug, to Ningbo Zhoushan Port Company Ltd.According to a release from the naval architectural firm Robert Allan, this first ever RAstar 3800-DF tug is the 10th custom designed vessel by Robert Allan Ltd. in close collaboration with Ningbo Port Company. The vessel is also the first Robert Allan Ltd. designed dual-fuel tug to operate in China.The new RAstar 3800-DF tug is powered by a pair of Niigata 8L28AHX-DF dual-fuel engines, each rated for 2,389 kW at 800 rpm, and driving Kongsberg US 255 CP 2.8 meter diameter controllable pitch Z-drives. Bollard pull recorded on trials met all expectations and is certified as 80.3 tonnes ahead.

The provider of towage services Boluda Towage Europe said that it's tugboat ‘Union Koala’ was officially certified for compliance with the IMO Tier III standards. The converted tug returned to service during a ceremony at the ABC Tower in Zeebrugge, Belgium."Boluda Towage Europe has passed a new milestone: it is the first towage company in Europe to convert an existing tugboat, complying with the IMO Tier III standards. The company embarked on this project together with supplier Anglo Belgian Corporation with the aim of reducing shipping emissions and addressing local port authorities’ demand for cleaner operations in the port area," claimed a press note from the company.To ensure that the vessel is complying with the IMO Tier III standard…

Canadian naval architecture and marine engineering services company Robert Allan Ltd (RAL) has been awarded design contracts of two vessel types for Seabulk Towing (a subsidiary of Seacor), to be built at Alabama-based Master Boat Builders, Inc.The newbuild program consists of 2 upgraded ART 90-98US tugs and 2 new RApport 3000 tugs, said the designer of commercial working vessels of all types.Two of the newbuilds will add to Seacor’s existing Rotortug fleet, with some feature updates to the Rotortug design, which has proven to be highly capable within the Company’s port system.The ART (Advanced Rotortug) designation applies to tugs featuring the unique triple drive configuration designed by Robert Allan Ltd.

Modutech Marine has awarded a contract to Robert Allan Ltd. to design a new version of the commercially successful RAscal 1800-Z tugs for the United States Navy.The new RAscal tug (with an option for one more) will be built by Modutech Marine Inc at their facility in Tacoma. The design for the US Navy will include updates to suit new EPA Tier 4 engines and associated systems, extensive fendering above and below the waterline to handle US Navy surface ships, submarines and barges as well as incorporating feedback from operators of the existing Z-Tech 4500 tugs.

Canadian marine engineering services firm Robert Allan Ltd (RAL) said that it has been awarded a contract by Modutech Marine Inc. of Tacoma, Washington to design a new version of the commercially successful RAscal 1800-Z tugs for the United States Navy.According to the consulting naval architectural firm, this award builds on the success of Robert Allan Ltd.’s Z-Tech 4500 design for the US Navy which currently operates six, identified as the YT 802 Class, and has another six tugs, identified as the YT 808 Class, currently under construction.The new RAscal tug (with an option for one more) will be built by Modutech Marine Inc at their…

Northern China  Port of Tianjin has taken delivery of Azimuth Stern Drive (ASD) Tug Jin Gang Lun 33 from the Shanghai Harbour Fuxing Shipping Service Company shipyard.The ASD 35/50 Tug is joining the Port’s tugboat fleet and serves the main roles of harbour towing, berthing and unberthing visiting vessels.Following Jin Gang Lun 31 and Jin Gang Lun 32 which were delivered to Tianjin Port early this year, Jin Gang Lun 33 is also custom designed in Canada by the Vancouver based naval architects Robert Allan Ltd. The vessel will obtain CCS Notation of I (intelligent)-ship with sub-notation of “M” – intelligent machinery space; “N” – intelligent navigation…

CMR Group delivered an alarm monitoring and engine control system for use onboard the tug DHB Doughty. Built in 2000, Doughty is part of the fleet of Dover Harbor Board, which administers and maintains the Port of Dover UK, the busiest ferry port in Europe.The engine control system of the two engines of the 19-year-old, 304-gt tug needed to be retro-fitted, and CMR was specified to deliver its E-Pulse system, an engine control system based around a touch-screen local operating…