Foss officials said they decided to enter into the agreement with Signet both because of anticipated growth and to respond to the needs of its customer base. The first of the leased vessels joined the Foss fleet in February of this year and the second will be delivered in May. As part of Foss’ ongoing fleet development plan, one vessel will be assigned to the North Puget Sound and the second to one of the other West Coast ports served by the company.

Originally to be named ‘Signet America’ and ‘Signet Stars and Stripes’, the tugs have been built to a new high performance tug design known as the AZ 30/80, developed by Signet in concert with Robert Allan Ltd of Vancouver, BC. The unique design was conceived to meet a wide range of operational requirements, including ship assist, escort, fire fighting, coastal towing and rig moves. The tugs are outfitted with the latet FiFi 1 firefighting equipment, Markey hawser winches and a robust Schuyler fendering system.

The first tug ran trials in February in Foss livery bearing the name ‘America’. Both vessels are fitted with MTU 4000 series main engines producing a total of 6,610bhp. America impressed those involved by its agility and is reported to have easily achieved the specified 80 tons minimum bollard pull.

 Signet, in return, is leasing two Foss vessels: a conventional twin screw tugboat for its contract towing work and one newly constructed ‘Dolphin-class’ ASD harbour tug. Foss and Signet may exchange and lease other vessels to each other and engage in other fleet optimisation activities in the future. The two companies, which have worked together on projects in the Gulf of Mexico for more than 20 years, are partnering by trading resources to ensure both companies maintain the right fleet mix for their customers’ needs, while maintaining flexibility to respond to new opportunities

‘Partnering with Foss, a company that builds its own vessels, is an ideal situation for Signet. This way, as opportunities arise, we can respond quickly with new construction vessels, said Signet CEO & president J Barry Snyder. ‘The ability to remain nimble by leasing out vessels that are in high demand and gaining vessels that are the right fit for the global needs of our customers works out very well for everyone.’