Towlines FEB11

Originally built by Cochrane & Sons at Selby in 1977.as the Lady Moira, the tug was initially operated by United Towing subsidiary Humber Tugs Ltd and its various successors. Multraship BV of Terneuzen purchased the vessel in 1997 and used it extensively for coastal and short sea towage as the Multratug 7. On 1 February it joined the MTS fleet and was put to work almost immediately bearing the new name MTS Viscount. This latest addition to the company’s fleet is 35m in length overall and powered by two Ruston 8RK3CM main engines delivering a total of 3,600 bhp, for a bollard pull of 52 tons and free running speed of 12 knots.

The completion of three new 55 ton bollard pull Voith tractor tugs for the Port of Antwerp at the local SKB Shipyard is reported to be going ahead in spite of financial difficulties at the yard. Hull construction and all major steel work for the trio was carried out in the Czech Republic and delivered to SKB for completion. All three will bear serial numbers instead of names. No.30 is soon to run trials, with No. 31 and No.32 to follow. The Port of Antwerp has also placed an order with the Spanish yard Union Naval Valencia SA for four additional Voith tractors, each with 70 tons bollard pull. A fleet of 19 tractor tugs is currently employed by the Port of Antwerp, making it the largest fleet of Voith equipped tugs in the world.

Union Wrestler, the last of a new class of four 85 tons bollard pull anchor handling tugs, has been delivered to Antwerp based URS, a subsidiary of Smit International. The first vessel of the series, Union Warrior, was completed in the Spring of 2010 (MJ – April 2010) and followed by Union Fighter and Union Boxer. All four of the 40.65m long vessels were built in Spain by Armon Shipyards of Asturias, Navia. Union Wrestler and its sisters are powered by ABC V12 MDZC four stroke main engines generating a total of 5,200 kW (7,065 bhp) at 1,000 rpm to drive Schottel SRP 2020FP propulsion units. Union Warrior is now in West Africa working offshore under a three year contract.

Danish tug operator Nordane Shipping has sold two of its tugs at a time when conditions in the spot market are particularly difficult. The 5,000 bhp ASD tug Stevns Icecap, completed by Irving Shipbuilders at East Isle in Canada in 2006, has been purchased by Rio Tinto-Alcan and will return to Canada to be stationed at La Baie, Quebec. The tug was chartered by Svitzer for use in Sweden as the Svitzer Nanna until July 2010 and has since been laid up. Nordane has also sold their elderly single-screw tug Cap Stevns, a vessel of 25.5m, with an 18 ton bollard pull. Cap Stevens has returned to Germany where it was built in 1962.