News: Sarawak: Taking a Global Position
To many westerners the names Borneo and Sarawak conjure up images of jungle rivers and dugout canoes. While the jungle rivers remain, the dug out canoes have largely been replaced by modern steel ferries and tugs. The Malaysian province of Sarawak has gained considerable affluence over the past half century from its strong forest industry, but as is the case throughout much of the world, this is now in decline. But the forest industry created a maritime legacy in the many small shipyards that developed to build work boats for moving the logs and lumber to market. The skills and resources built up during the boom times in the forest industry have funded a number of newer shipyards and provided updated equipment to established yards.
Tug/Supply Vessel from Tuong Aik
The Offshore Division of Swissco International Ltd. of Singapore recently took delivery of a new tug/supply vessel, the 2400-hp Swissco Swift from Tuong Aik Shipyard Sdn. Bhd. in Sibu Sarawak. The 32 x 9 meter vessel was built to a design by United Ship Design of Sibu. With a large open aft deck, a 2.5-meter stern roller, a 25-ton towing winch and firefighting monitors, this craft is designed to provide a range of services to charterers. The main engines, a pair of Cummins KTA38 M2s, each turns 1200 hp at 1800 RPM into Rintjes WAF562 gears with 5.947:1 ratios. With kort nozzles this power provides a 28-tonne bollard pull and an 11-knot free running speed. Hefty electrical power for the vessel is provided by a pair of Cummins 6CTA8.3 (D)M-powered 156 kw generator sets.
