This small but developing company, founded in 1980, are familiar with Damen built vessels. Among other tugs and support vessels, they operated the well known 16m ‘Trijnie’ for some years, trading it in with Damen Marine Services in 2006 to buy ‘Shoalbuster’, the original prototype Shoalbuster 2309. The latter was recently sold to a client in the Caspian Sea.

Sinbad Marine is determined to move into the towage market in Europe, the Caspian Sea, Middle East and Africa. To that end they have selected the Damen Shoalbuster 2609, a vessel classed by Bureau Veritas for Unrestricted Navigation and designed to undertake deep sea towage operations and provide a comprehensive range of services on site. The new vessel which represents a considerable investment of €4.2m, has been financed locally through the Allied Irish Bank in Killybegs and will be delivered early in April 2008.

The tug will be very similar to the ‘Marineco Toomai’, the 26m Shoalbuster owned by Marineco UK Ltd and exhibited at Seawork in June. Caterpillar 3508 TBA main engines will be installed, generating a total of 2,200 bhp, to give the vessel a 30 ton bollard pull and top speed of 11 knots. Like the Marinco Toomai, the new tug will have many recent modifications, including larger and additional windows for improved all round visibility. Sinbad will also have a control console installed to its own specification and an electronics package provided by a local Irish supplier.