These will be replacements for Rotterdam and overseas fleets, with delivery scheduled for 2007-2008.

Smit's Transport & Heavy Lift Division is to purchase seven newly built work vessels from Hadi H. Al-Hammam Est of Saudi Arabia. The 75 tons bollard pull vessels will be a modified version of the Smit Kamara and Smit Komodo. Two will be delivered this year and one in 2008.

.Adsteam Towage Ltd London has moved its offices from Alexandra House, adjacent to the Royal Terrace Pier in Gravesend downstream to Denton Wharf, Mark Lane, Gravesend, Kent, DA12 2QB. The new office location follows the introduction last year of a tug pier at Denton offering a more convenient mooring for Adsteam's Thames fleet.

Telephone and Fax numbers and Email addresses remain unchanged.

Svitzer Marine Limited is currently due to take delivery of a new £5 million escort tug, Svitzer Stanlow, from the ASL Shipyard in Singapore. The 37.5m tug will be used primarily to escort and berth tankers at the Shell Terminal at Tranmere in Liverpool. Designed for a bollard pull of 70 tons, it will soon be on route to Britain under its own power with a crew from ship delivery specialists Redwise.

The Voith Schneider tractor is one of two purpose built escort tugs due for delivery by the same yard. The other is the Oden for the associated Roda-Bolaget fleet in Sweden .Baloe, the new Shoalbuster 2308 being completed at the Damen Hardinxveld yard for Herman Sr BV was launched during the first few days of April and formally christened on the 5th of the month. The tug is expected to be completed towards the end of April and it is hoped that Baloe will appear in the ITS 2006 'Tug Parade'. A full account of this new vessel will appear in a future issue of MJ.