Printer Friendly
Email a Friend
TOWLINES
01 Nov 2006
Damen Shipyards Gorinchem has signed a contract with North Tugz Limited in Whangerei, New Zealand for the construction of one Damen ASD Tug 2411 The order represents another milestone in the history of Damen. This will be the first ever Damen tug to be delivered to a New Zealand customer. A compact tug to 24m in length with a bollard pull of 70 tons, the vessel will be built by the Song Cam Shipyard in Haiphong, Vietnam. In the two and a half years since its introduction, 23 ASD Tug 2411 harbour tugs have been completed or are under construction.
Smit has announced its intention to sell its 50% interest in SmitWijs Towage to the other shareholder SvitzerWijsmuller. Both shareholders believe that these ocean towage activities will have a stronger future under the control of a single party. The cyclical nature of ocean towage activities is not compatible with Smit’s strategy of growth and stability. Towage operations willcontinue under SvitzerWijsmuller with the current team of Dutch officers. Smit is to discuss the consequences of their intention with the unions and its Works Council. The transaction is not expected to affect Smit’s financial results.
H&S Dredging Support BV of Harlingen has ordered a new multi-purpose support vessel from Shipyard Kooiman of Zwijndrecht. To be named Zwerver I, the vessel will be larger than the current Zwerver II, built by Damen in 2003, with a length of 28m and beam of 12.5m. Three 640 hp Cummins main engines will drive triple fixed pitch propellers for a bollard pull of 29 tons. A heavy duty 350 hp bow thruster will be installed allowing thrust to be directed through 360(DEGREES). The winches, crane and other deck equipment fitted will be considerably more powerful than that aboard Zwerver II. Delivery is scheduled for January 2007.
The anchor handling tug Lady Hammond was finally sold in October to Al Bawardi of Abu Dhabi. Owned by Classic Marine and managed by Klyne Tugs (Lowestoft) Ltd, the 6,000 bhp twin screw tug has been on charter to Al Bawardi since 2002. The 75 ton bollard pull tug was originally built in 1984 by Cochrane of Selby as the Seaman for United Towing Ltd. In spite of a chequered career, Lady Hammond has remained in full employment throughout and participated in a number of important tows and salvage operations. This is the last vessel to be owned by Classic Marine, which has now withdrawn from marine activities.
By JACK GASTON
Images for this article - click to enlarge
Unless otherwise stated, all images copyright © Mercator Media 2008. This does not exclude the owner's assertion of copyright over the material.
