Spagna News

Rimorchiatori Riuniti bolsters Porto di Genova fleet with another Robert Allan Ltd. Rimorchiatori Riuniti currently operates five Robert Allan Ltd. designed tugs in its Porto di Genova fleet, including two AVT 2700 harbor escort tugs (Svezia and Inghilterra), one AVT 3600 offshore towing and escort tug (Messico) and two RAmparts 2,400W ASD harbor tugs (Norvegia and Spagna). The company has recently bolstered its Genova fleet with a new RAmparts 2400SX, 70 metric tons bollard pull tug, built by Sanmar Shipyard in Turkey.

In August the RAmparts 2500W tug Norvegia was delivered by Astilleros Armon of Navia, Spain to owners, Rimorchiatori Riuniti in Genoa, Italy. Shortly afterward in early September, the second vessel of Rimorchiatori Riuniti's two boat order, the Spagna, was delivered. The RAmparts 2500W is a new variation on Robert Allan Ltd's standard RAmparts 2500 design. It was developed in collaboration with Rimorchiatori Riuniti who were looking for a compact, yet powerful shipdocking tug for their operations in the historic and busy port of Genoa.

A planning boat that is light, fast and economical, yet has the usable deck area of a boat twice it’s size and the stability of a trimaran! Sounds too good to be true, well that was my initial reaction until I attended the Press launch in Italy of the “transformer” Wider 42. I call it transformer because that’s what it does. It can plane at speeds over 50 knots and when it stops, by pressing a button, in 12 secs it transforms the cockpit deck into an are twice its size. To ensure stability, two sponsons, one each side slide out from the hull to increase stability.

On May 15 Uljanik Shipyards in Pula will deliver Grande Lagos, built on behalf of Grimaldi-Napoli. The ship will be launched by Mrs. Aldi C. Sekibo, the consort of the Minister of Transports of Nigeria. Grande Lagos is the seventh ship, following up a maxi-order of 11 ships, that was built by the Croatian shipyards Ulajnik in Pula for the Grimaldi – Napoli group. In three years the Uljanik shipyard launched and delivered to the Grimaldi – Napoli group Grande Benelux, and Grande Italia in 2001; Grande Spagna and Grande Portogallo in 2002; Grande Roma and Grande Napoli in 2003.

Ceremony of delivery, this morning, at the Uljanik Shipyards of Pola, of the vessel‘’Grande Anversa’’, built for Grimaldi Group Naples. Godmother of the vessel: Mrs Camille Delwaide, wife of the President of the Antwerp Port Authority, Baron Leo Delwaide. The choice to name the vessel after the city of Antwerp is an act of gratitude towards a city and a port representing Grimaldi Group Naples a hub for its traffic flows between North Europe, North and South America, West Africa and the Mediterranean.

In honor of the “Motor City”, Grande Detroit -- a new build for Grimaldi-Naples -- was launched on April 16 at the Croatian Uljanik Yard in Pula. Godmother of the vessel was Ann Dickson, wife of Michael Dickinson executive director of logistics at General Motors Europe. Grande Detroit is the ninth of a 14-ship order awarded by Grimaldi-Naples the Uljanik Yard. Over a four year period the yard has launched and delivered to Grimaldi-Naples the vessels Grande Benelux and Grande Italia in 2001, Grande Spagna and Grande Portugallo in 2002, Grande Roma and Grande Napoli in 2003 and Grande Lagos and Grande Anversa in 2004. Grande Detroit is a 36,000 ton vessel 176 metres long with a 31,10 metre beam.