The ceremony at the Baltija yard was attended by guests from Lithuania, Denmark and elsewhere. Among the visitors were Prime Minister of Lithuania Algirdas Brazauskas, the General Director of Odense Steel Shipyard Ltd (parent to Baltija Shipyard) John Skov Hansen and senior executives from the owners Svitzer Wijsmuller.

Immediately after the ceremony the first tug Svitzer Mars sailed for Denmark, where it was subjected to exhaustive trials for two days before being redeployed for use by Gothenburg based Roda Bolaget. Svitzer Mjolner will remain under the Danish flag and once Svitzer Milford is completed later in the year it will join the fleet of Svitzer Marine Ltd at Milford Haven in South Wales.

Initially eight tugs of this latest design were ordered from Baltija, through parent company Ocean Steel, but at the naming ceremony it was announced that the order has been increased to 10 vessels, with options for a further four. The first four tugs, including those mentioned will be powered by medium speed MAK main engines producing a total of 4890bhp (3600kW) for a nominal 60 tonnes bollard pull.

The remaining vessels will have more powerful high-speed Caterpillar diesels delivering 5842bhp (4300kW) for a bollard pull of about 70 tonnes.

Following the delivery of the first three vessels a completion is anticipated at approximately two-month intervals, with all 10 tugs to be deployed in Europe and Scandinavia.

Svitzer Mars and her sisters are 30.3m in length overall, with a breadth of 11.5m and maximum design draft of 4.8m. All of the vessels in the series will be classed Lloyds Register + 100 A1, TUG, FiFi1 (2400m 3)Waterspray, +LMC, UMS, IWS.

The hull design has been tank tested and optimised to produce the required performance and excellent handling characteristics, particularly when going astern.

A double skin hull configuration, unusual in tugs of this size, offers greater safety and increases bunker capacity - giving greater range. The tugs have accommodation for four persons but will work in port, in most locations, with a crew of three.

On trial Svitzer Mars achieved a bollard pull, at the engines Maximum Continuous Rating (MCR) of 62 tonnes pulling ahead and 55 tonnes astern.

The free running speed at MCR was 13.7 knots ahead and 13 knots astern.

The azimuthing stern drive (ASD) propulsion system is powered by two MAK 6M25 main engines producing a total of 4890bhp at 750rev/minute.

Power is transmitted via intermediate cardan shafts to a pair of Rolls Royce US205 CP propulsion units incorporating controllable pitch propellers, thus obviating the need for slipping clutches. A Rolls Royce Marine, Ulstein 45TU transverse bow thruster, powered by a 200kW electric motor, is also installed.

Rolls Royce deck machinery includes a combined towing winch and anchor windlass on the foredeck. The winch has a single de-clutchable split drum with a line pull of 30 tonnes and maximum brake holding load of 160 tonnes. A Rolls Royce capstan is located on the after deck along with a Mampaey, quick release tow hook. A towing winch aft will be optional on this class of vessel.

All of the vessels in the series will be fitted for fire fighting to FiFi 1 standards, with two Skum water/foam monitors, each with a capacity of 1200m 3/hour. The monitors and a self-protection spray system are supplied by two main engine driven ABS/Unitor SFP 250x350 pumps.

The construction of ten and possibly a further four tugs of this type for use around Europe and Scandinavia will have a profound effect on Svitzer's various operational fleets, allowing the disposal of many outdated vessels. It is hoped that a complete description of one of these new vessels will be possible in a future issue.