Robert Allan Ltd.
Robert Allan Ltd. is a globally renowned Canadian company specializing in the design of commercial workboats, particularly tugboats, and other vessels for various marine applications. Founded in 1930 by Robert Allan, the company has earned a reputation for innovative design, engineering excellence, and a strong commitment to quality. Its headquarters are located in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Key Aspects of Robert Allan Ltd.:
History and Legacy:
- Founding: Established in 1930, initially focusing on local tug, barge, and ferry designs.
- Evolution: Over the decades, the company has grown and flourished, expanding its range of services and its global footprint.
Specialization:
- Tugboats: Known primarily for their advanced tugboat designs, which are used worldwide in diverse and challenging environments.
- Fireboats, Barges, and Workboats: In addition to tugboats, the company designs a variety of specialized vessels tailored to meet the needs of different maritime industries.
Innovative Designs:
- RAstar and RAmparts Series: Well-known series of tugboat designs that offer high efficiency, stability, and safety.
- Environmental Considerations: Incorporating eco-friendly technologies and designs to reduce environmental impact.
Global Reach:
- International Projects: Robert Allan Ltd. has an extensive portfolio of projects spanning multiple continents, delivering vessels to clients around the world.
- Collaborations: Works closely with shipyards and marine operators globally to ensure that design specifications meet local and international standards.
Engineering and Consulting Services:
- Custom Designs: Providing bespoke design solutions to meet specific client needs.
- Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering: Offering comprehensive engineering services including hull form development, structural design, and stability analysis.
- Consulting: Advising on vessel modifications, retrofits, and compliance with regulatory requirements.
Commitment to Quality and Safety:
- Standards: Adhering to rigorous quality standards and best practices in naval architecture.
- Safety: Emphasizing safety in all designs, ensuring that vessels can operate efficiently and securely under various conditions.
Leadership and Innovation:
- Industry Influence: Robert Allan Ltd. is considered a leader in the maritime design industry, often setting trends and introducing innovations.
- Research and Development: Continuing to invest in R&D to enhance vessel performance, environmental sustainability, and operational efficiency.
Notable Projects:
- The company has been involved in numerous high-profile projects, including the design of some of the most sophisticated and powerful tugboats and specialized workboats in operation today.
Vision and Future:
- Sustainability: Focused on integrating green technologies and sustainable design practices.
- Technological Advancements: Continually leveraging the latest advancements in technology to improve the functionality and efficiency of their vessels.
In summary, Robert Allan Ltd. stands as a paragon of naval architecture and marine engineering, recognized for its comprehensive and forward-thinking vessel designs, commitment to quality, and substantial impact on the global maritime industry.
- Phone: 604-736-9466
- Web: www.ral.bc.ca
- Fax: 604-736-9483
Locations
Robert Allan Ltd. News
U.S. Boatbuilding Gains Steam
Shipbuilding in the United States has seen a heightened profile with increased attention from Congress and the Trump 2.0 Administration. The ongoing dialogue regarding reinvigorating the U.S. deep sea fleet has brought mainstream attention to vessel construction, which has been nearly absent in recent years. In contrast, the marketplace for domestic vessel construction, for vessels serving rivers and harbors, is alive and well.
RAstar Tug Pair Delivered, Set Sail for Mexico
Cheoy Lee Shipyards recently delivered two RAstar 3200-CL tugs bound for Coatzacoalcos, Mexico. CMM Azteca and CMM Mexico will sail on their own bottom all the way from Hong Kong and begin operations in Mexico as part of Compania Maritima Mexicana SA DE CV’s fleet (an affiliate company of Boluda Towage).These two tugs are the latest deliveries in the RAstar 3200-CL series, which Cheoy Lee has been building since 2013.
Sanmar Launches Tug for Greek Owner
SANMAR launched a compact tug for new customer NEMECA – the first tugboat it has built for Greece.The Bigaçay range ASD tug is based on the exclusive-to-SANMAR RAstar 2900SX design from Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd, and can achieve a bollard pull of more than 80 tons.NEMECA owns and operates a fleet of tugboats in Piraeus, Thessaloniki and Kavala providing harbour towage, open sea towage and salvage services.
First Fleet of 3000 DWT Hopper Barges Launches at Brazil Shipyard
On May 7, 2025, the first in a groundbreaking fleet of 3,000-ton deadweight hopper barges, designed by Robert Allan Ltd., was officially launched at Juruá Shipyard in Manaus, Brazil. The event marked a milestone in LHG Mining’s river transportation initiative in South America.This inaugural barge is part of a 400-unit fleet commissioned by LHG Mining to enable the efficient, sustainable transport of high-grade iron ore from Corumbá, Brazil, to export terminals in Uruguay.
Robert Allan, SCHOTTEL Teamwork Hits 500 Tugs Milestone
With the 500th tug designed by Robert Allan and equipped with SCHOTTEL propulsion systems, the Canadian naval architect and German propulsion specialist companies have now reached a very special milestone in their long-standing partnership.Tug number 500 is one of a pair for KOTUG Canada, which are currently being built at Turkish Sanmar shipyards.Based on the RAsalvor 4400-DFM design from Robert Allan…
Two Compact Ship Assist Tugs Delivered to US Owner
Robert Allan Ltd. has announced the delivery of two very compact high bollard pull ship handling tugs, Rascal and Rowdy, to Brusco Tug & Barge in the US.The RAscal 2000-D series tugs were constructed at Diversified Marine Inc. of Portland, Oregon, and at over 40 short tons are the highest bollard pull tugs of this size designed to date by Robert Allan Ltd.These compact tugs are well suited for harbors where smaller though still powerful ship assist tugs are needed…
Battery Electric Tug Designed for Shandong Port
Robert Allan Ltd. has been awarded a contract to design an AmpRA 3600 battery-electric tug for Shandong Port Group – Rizhao Port Towing Company, in China.Two vessels will be constructed at Rizhao Gangda Shipbuilding Heavy Industry and will be the fifth and sixth tugs designed by Robert Allan Ltd. for this owner.Following on the development of the successful battery-electric and hybrid designs operation in Canada…
Steel Cut for Australian Emergency Towing Vessel
A steel cutting ceremony has been held for a new RAsalvor 6500 at Rizhao GANGDA Shipbuilding (Shandong Port) in Shandong Province, China.Designed by Robert Allan Ltd. for Smit Lamnalco, Australia, and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, the new emergency towing vessel will provide first response capability in the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait – some of the most precious marine environments…
Dual-Fuel LNG Tractor Tug Delivered to Turkish Owner
The 39-metre tug Silivri has been delivered to The BOTAS Petroleum Pipeline Corporation in Turkey.The TRAktor V3900-DF series tug was recently completed at Uzmar Shipyard to a design by Robert Allan Ltd.Silivri is only the second vessel in the world to combine Voith Schneider propulsion with dual-fuel LNG/diesel engines. This unique arrangement has only been combined once before, on her sistership Sultanhani…
Sanmar Secures Landmark Tug Contract with New Bulgarian Client
SANMAR signed a contract with PORT FLOT – BURGAS, one of Bulgaria’s leading towage companies, to build a multi-purpose tug to join its fleet, providing services in the Bay of Burgas.The new tugboat will be one of the Turkish tug-builder and operator’s BoÄźaçay Series and to be known as BOÄžAÇAY LXXXI while under construction. It will be based on the exclusive-to-SANMAR RAmparts 2400SX-MKII design from…
New Bunkering Service Debuts in Canadian Port
The port of Prince Rupert has welcomed the startup of Wolverine Terminals’ marine bunkering service for deep sea shipping, adding a key logistical capability to this strategic deepwater port on the west coast of Canada. Using a unique pair of barges designed by Robert Allan Ltd., Wolverine Terminals can deliver a wide range of fuels to suit the needs of vessels calling at the port, including marine diesel…
Sanmar Delivers Tug for Scafi
A second multi-purpose tugboat has joined her twin sister at Rijeka, Croatia’s principal seaport, part of a two-tug contract with the Italian shipping group Scafi for its Croatian subsidiary Jadranski Pomorski Servis.Known as BOÄžAÇAY LXXII while under construction in Turkiye the tug, renamed TITAN by her new owner, is now working alongside fellow Bogacay Series tugboat MORETTO.Both 80-ton bollard pull…
Latin America’s First Fully Electric Tugboat Launched
Sanmar ends 2024 strong with the launch of the first fully electric tugboat to operate in Latin America.Ordered by SAAM Towage, the new tug is based on the exclusive-to-Sanmar ElectRA 2500SX design from naval architects Robert Allan Ltd, and is the eighth fully electric tug Sanmar has built.The tug built for SAAM Towage measures 25.4 x 12.86m with a draft of 5.55m, and with a installed battery capacity 3…
New Tug Delivered in Brazil
A new RAmparts 2300 series tug designed by Robert Allan Ltd. and built at Estaleiro Rio Maguari (ERM) in Belém, Brazil was delivered to Sulnorte Serviços Maritimos in August 2024. SN Cariri is the seventh RAmparts 2300 built by ERM in recent months.The RAmparts 2300 series features compact yet powerful Azimuth Stern Drive (ASD) tugboats measuring around 23 meters in length. Despite their small size…
Five Tugs Dedicated in Port of Leith
At a special dedication ceremony at the Port of Leith this week, five Sanmar-built tugs were given a traditional marine blessing with their godmothers present. They form part of the large fleet of tugs and workboats operated by Targe Towing Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Forth Ports Limited, which provide towage, emergency response and other services 24 hours a day principally on the Forth and Tay…
New Tug Delivered to KST Maritime in Singapore
KST Dragon, a RAmparts 2500-CL ship handling and escort tug, arrived in her home port of Singapore on September 11, 2024. The vessel will soon commence operations for KST Maritime, a subsidiary of Italian parent company MedTug SpA.The RAmparts 2500-CL design was developed by Canadian naval architecture firm Robert Allan, Ltd. in collaboration with builder, Cheoy Lee Shipyards of Hong Kong, and has been a successful series since 2018.
Gulf LNG Tugs Orders Four New Vessels to Serve Port Arthur LNG Export Facility
Gulf LNG Tugs of Port Arthur on Thursday announced it has placed orders for four new escort tugs to serve the Port Arthur LNG export facility in Texas. Two will be constructed by Master Boat Builders in Coden, Ala., and two by Sterling Shipyard in Port Neches, Texas. Gulf LNG Tugs—a joint venture comprised of Bay-Houston Towing, Moran Towing Corporation and Suderman & Young Towing Company—said the new high horsepower…
Sanmar to Build Two Tugs for Turkiye's Directorate General of Coastal Safety
Turkish shipbuilder Sanmar announced it has secured contract to construct two powerful ASD tugboats for Turkiye's Directorate General of Coastal Safety.Sanmar, which has previously delivered four tugs to the directorate’s fleet, said the new BoÄźaçay class tugboats are based on the exclusive-to-Sanmar RAmparts 2400 SX MKII design from Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd. The vessels will measure 24m…
Electric Tug HaiSea Wamis Arrives at Kitimat Home Base
The all-electric tugboat HaiSea Wamis is the first of HaiSea Marine’s five new eco-friendly tugs to travel from North Vancouver to the company's base of operations in Kitimat.A team of eight Haisla members piloted the HaiSea Wamis home, marking a milestone for HaiSea Marine, a partnership primarily owned by the Haisla Nation and Seaspan ULC. This occasion was a family affair for the Ross family, spanning three generations: Ed Ross…
Sanmar Delivers Escort Tug
Sanmar delivered a tug designed for escort, ship-handling, and towage work to Italy-based operator Rimorchiatori Laziali as part of its on-going expansion outside the Mediterranean.Known as KOCAÇAY IX while under construction in Turkiye, the tug has been renamed Pellegron by its new owners and will operate in the Arabian Gulf.Based on the exclusive-to-Sanmar RAstar 3200SX design from Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd.…
