The three remaining tugs will be delivered in the next few months.

Serco Denholm, towage and marine services contractor to the UK Ministry of Defence (Navy), has purchased the twin screw tug MSC Lenie from Maritime Craft Services (Clyde) Ltd. The 24.35m tug, built in 1997 by Abel in Bristol, is powered by Caterpillar main engines producing t total of 2,200bhp for a bollard pull of 26 tons. MSC Lenie had been under contract to the MOD in Scotland for some time and has now joined the Serco fleet as the SD Kyle of Lochalsh.

UK shipbrokers The Stewart Group has been acquired by RS Platou ASA for an undisclosed sum. Established in 1922, The Stewart Group operates through two divisions: Stewart Offshore Services based in Aberdeen and Samuel Stewart & Co dealing with towage, salvage and ship broking services from offices in London. Oslo based RS Platou is a leading international ship and offshore vessel broking company with offices in Singapore, Houston, Moscow, Lagos, Copenhagen, Shanghai and Istanbul, dealing with chartering, sale and purchase and contracting of offshore vessels and drilling rigs.

Mr John Noble was appointed Development Adviser to the International Salvage Union on 2 April. A prominent figure in the international salvage community, he is a Master Mariner, served 13 years at sea, and spent two years with the UK P&I Club. He joined Murray Fenton in 1980 and subsequently attended over 60 casualties, specialising in cases involving salvage, pollution and wreck removal. He became Chief Executive of The Salvage Association in 2001. Over the past two years, he has carried out assignments for BMT, which acquired Murray Fenton in 1999.

By Jack Gaston