New additions move MTS fleet up a gear

Two seagoing tugs have been purchased from other owners along with one brand new tug/workboat straight from Damen Shipyards. These recent additions bring the total number of vessels in the MTS fleet to 23, of which 10 are tugs ranging from 3 tons to 52 tons bollard pull.

MTS is an independently owned company providing a wide range of marine services from towage and civil engineering support to pilotage and shipping agency. With offices in Brixham, Falmouth and Newlyn, the company providesits wide range of services to the shipping and marine civil engineering industries worldwide 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.

The first recent addition to the MTS inventory occurred in February when the seagoing tug MTS Viscount appeared around the coasts of the UK and Europe for the first time in MTS colours. Formerly the Multratug 7 (ex: Lady Moira), the vessel was originally built in 1977 as one of a pair of sisterships for Humber Tugs Ltd. A product of the famous Selby yard of Cochrane Shipbuilders, Lady Moira and its sister Lady Debbie were designed for port, estuary and seagoing operations. The tug was sold to Multraship Towage & Salvage of Terneuzen in 1997 to become an active member of its fleet.

MTS Viscount is a twin screw tug of 35m in length overall, powered by two Ruston 8RK3CM diesels producing a total of 3,500bhp. The fixed pitch propellers rotate in Kort nozzles to generate a bollard pull of 52 tons and a maximum speed of 12 knots. A single-drum towing winch is equipped with a 1,000m towline of 48mm diameter steel wire rope (SWR). A spare 1,000m towline is carried onboard. A clear work deck aft is served by a 20 t/m Fassi deck crane and a set of hydraulically operated tow pins are fitted aft.

This well proven acquisition was put to work immediately, bearing the distinctive orange and white livery of its new owners, and has been engaged almost continuously on seagoing towage operations ever since.

In March, MTS purchased the single screw seagoing tug Multi Mammut from the fleet of Norwegian tugowners Bukser og Berging. This tug was procured specifically to replace the company’s trusted but aging support vessel Bay Protector, permanently stationed at the company’s Brixham base with a local crew. Renamed MTS Victory, the tug will be used to support both local operations and respond to ships requiring assistance off the south west approaches to the UK. Bay Protector has now been put up for sale.

MTS Victory is a tug with a proven track record in the field of coastal towing around Norway and other Scandinavian states. Originally built in the Netherlands in 1976, the vessel measures 26.55m in length overall with a beam of 8.55m and draft (aft) of 4.8m. A single ALCO 45A main engine rated at 2,675bhp is coupled to a four blade controllable pitch propeller turning in a steerable thrust augmenting nozzle. This arrangement gives the tug a maximum bollard pull of 35 tons and a speed of 13.5 knots. A 250hp transverse bow thruster is also installed. A single drum towing winch carries a1,000m SWR towline, and a 16 t/m deck crane is available for the transfer of equipment and stores.

The third recent acquisition is a Damen Stan Tug 1606, one of the latest generation of Damen’s well known 16m tug/workboat and the first for the UK. Named MTS Vulcan, the vessel was constructed in China at the Damen Change Shipyard and shipped to the Netherlands as deck cargo to be commissioned at Gorinchem for delivery on 1 April.

MTS Vulcan is typical of the new breed, measuring 16.56m in length overall with a beam of 5.54m and a draft (aft) of 2.35m. Many features have been modernised, including the wheelhouse, deck layout, a more rounded bow and the familiar ‘push-knee’ is neater and blended into the hull. The wheelhouse is exceptionally quiet and practical for a small crew but with sufficient space for passenger transportation and additional survey staff and equipment.

The engine room houses two Caterpillar C18 TA/B main engines generating a total of 1,200bhp at 1,800rpm to drive a pair of fixed pitch propellers via Reintjes WAF 264L gearboxes. The propellers rotate within 1,350mm diameter, stainless steel lined, Van der Giessen ‘Optima’ fixed nozzles. Streamlined, double plate rudders are fitted and controlled by hydraulic steering gear giving 100 degrees of movement (2×50 degrees). This propulsion system gives the small and versatile tug/workboat a maximum bollard pull of 16.74 tons and a maximum speed of over 11 knots.

MTS has built up an enviable reputation and has established many long term customer relationships in an industry concerned with balancing cost and the client’s requirements. The company’s tug fleet is a careful mix of new and older tonnage, designed to offer clients a wide range of capability and, where necessary, on-site services. Included in the fleet are vessels ranging from modern shallow draft Damen Shoalbusters to older single and twin screw vessels, all maintained in excellent condition.

The MTS Group is more than just a towage concern. From its inception in1993 as Plantain Marine Ltd, the company has been deeply involved in pilotage, crew and stores transportation, towage and other shipping services.

Marine & Towage Services Group Ltd was formed in 2006 when Plantain Marine Ltd purchased Torbay & Brixham Shipping Agents and Brixham Pilots. Mounts Bay Engineering in Newlyn was also purchased and has since provided an in-house engineering facility with all the advantages that it brings to the Group’s fleet and local customers. Late in 2009, the MTS Group moved into purpose built head offices in Brixham with berthing alongside for their local vessels.

By Jack Gaston