Signet Maritime Corporation continues to expand its diverse fleet by awarding a contract for the construction of two Robert Allan Ltd. designed tugs to Patti Marine Enterprises, Inc. in Pensacola, Florida.
This marks the ninth Signet/Robert Allan Ltd. design in 5 years. Construction commenced in November 2012 with an expected delivery of December 2013 for the first vessel and March 2014 for the second vessel. Continuing the longstanding Signet tradition of naming vessels in honor of America’s Cup winners, the new RAmparts 3200 ASD tugs will be named M/V Signet Intrepid and M/V Signet Vigilant.
These vessels are the fifth and sixth ASD tugboats delivered for Signet in less than three years and will operate from the International Operations Center in Ingleside, Texas, where they will primarily be used to perform offshore and inshore rig escort, barge, and subsea support work.
Once again, Signet reaffirms its commitment to building environmentally conscious tugboats that will adhere to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Tier III emissions regulations. The tugs will also feature C175-16 CAT engines, Markey Model DEPCF-52S winch, and Rolls Royce US 255 controllable pitch Z-drives. With 83 tons of Bollard Pull, these vessels will be powerful and offer improved reliability to handle the expanding needs of the marine transportation industry.