Marin Tug & Pilotage has praised the influence of Sanmar Shipyards in its success after it was named one of the winners in the recent tug licence allocation in Turkey.
Marin Tug & Pilotage was founded in 1998 by a number of leading players in Turkey’s marine community with the aim of increasing the quality of service in Turkish ports. It provides ship towage services in Izmit Bay, Nemrut Bay and the Aliaga region and pilotage services in Tekordağ and Ambarli port regions. The Istanbul-based company also offers open sea towage, offshore, salvage and wreck removal services on an international basis.
Exactly half of Marin’s 16 strong tug fleet have been built by Sanmar Shipyards at its Tuzla and Altinova facilities and the partnership’s effectiveness is reflected by Captain Kazim Bakan of Marin Tugs who says: “We can honestly say that in all the work we perform with Sanmar tugs, we are fully satisfied and, most importantly, so are our customers.”
Its most recent additions, five vessels built by Sanmar in 2019 alone, were all to Robert Allan Ltd exclusive designs and include two 60tbp Boğaçay class, probably Sanmar’s most successful series of ASD tugs. A third slightly more powerful 70tbp example is due at the time of writing. Included in Marin’s range of Sanmar tugs are a 50tbp, 24m compact Sirapinar class vessel and a powerful 80tbp, 28m Sanmar Terminal class tug.
The most recent additions to the Marin Tug fleet are being deployed to fulfil the new port operation licences acquired by the company in Izmit and Nemrut Bay. Background to the thinking behind the tug licencing process is provided by Ruchan Civgin, Sanmar’s commercial director who says: “The new regulations encouraged the operators to own and operate more powerful tugs. These operators with the more powerful ASD or tractor tugs had a greater chance of being awarded towage licences in the busier ports.”
Sanmar was a winner with the Turkish towage licencing process themselves because as well as a successful tug builder, it has its own operational division with its own “home” fleet and has been awarded several new harbour towage licences. Tug construction is Sanmar’s best-known line of business with its Robert Allan Ltd-designed completions fast approaching 200.
