TOWLINES

GPS’s tug/workboat GPS Battler had previously towed the Tattershall Castle back to the river Thames from Hull and the final leg of the journey was entrusted to their tugs GPS India, GPS Iberia and GPS Ionia. Not wanting to be left out of the action, the crane barge GPS Boxer has also carried out mooring and installation work on behalf of the main contractor.

Another three tug operation albeit on a slightly larger scale has seen Boluda’s VB Gasgone and VB Octeville (from Le Havre) and VB Puissant (from Dunkerque) position an 1,800 ton, 90m high meteorological mast 17km off Fécamp, part of the Fécamp offshore windfarm. The mast was towed from Le Havre and required precise positioning by the three tugs while it was lowered to the seabed in nearly 30m of water by filling ballast tanks in the foundation with sea water.

The operation was carried out for MJ Højgaard with the seabed having previously been prepared by establishing a level layer of filter stone. The mast is the first Seatower Cranefree self-installing gravity foundation and with an eye to adopting the technology for wind turbines themselves, could see a new strand of opportunity for tug operators in the future.

Continued growth at ArcelorMittal’s iron ore storage facilities at Port Cartier, Quebec has created the requirement for additional tug capacity and led to the deployment of an additional tug for the port in the Svitzer Wombi, to be renamed Svitzer Cartier.
The tug has the ability to handle Capesize bulkers using the port and should be seen in light of Svitzer’s aim to expand their presence in Canada. The Voith Schneider propelled tug previously operated for Svitzer in Australia and has undergone modifications to comply with Transport Canada and Lloyd’s Register regulations. Svitzer Cartier was built in Shanghai in 2007 and is rated at 60 tbp.

Portland Port on the UK south coast has put the oldest tug in their fleet list up for sale ‘as is where is’. Sandsfoot Castle was built in 1965 as the Dalmation, for the Ministry of Defence (RMAS), 28m long and powered by a Blackstone diesel developing 980kW. It has served Portland Port since 2003. There are two remaining tugs in use at the port: Maiden Castle is a 55 tbp ASD tug, built in 1993 as the Titan for Wijsmuller and one of a pair (Titan and Simson). Portland’s second tug is the smaller 28 tbp Wyke Castle, built in Japan in 1980 as Kiso Maru before serving SMS Towage as the Pullman.

By Peter Barker