TUGS & SALVAGE

A success story for Damen and Smit

17 years ago

When Damen Shipyards at Gorinchem in the Netherlands first introduced their series built Damen ASD Tug 2810 in 2004 it was recognised by many as a harbour tug with some potential but now, some five years later, it can be considered a ‘ success’ story! During those few years over 60 hulls have been built or are under construction and 49 completed tugs are now in use around the world.

The adoption by Smit International of this ‘standard’ Damen product gave the ASD 2810 an enormous boost and by the end of the year 23 tugs will be in service with the fleets of Smit Harbour Towage. Smit have worked with Damen on many harbour tug projects and this vessel is no exception. The final 10 vessels being deployed by Smit are of a ‘new generation’ with small but significant modifications.

Smit received its first tug of the initial ASD 2810 design, Smit Panama, in April 2004 and two more in 2005. From then on deliveries gradually increased until 2009, when seven tugs will be added to the inventory. A large number are employed in Panama, and others in the Dutch Antilles, Argentina, Kuwait, Singapore, the Baltic, Britain, Rotterdam and elsewhere.

The basic design, which has been described in these pages more than once, is little changed since its inception. Each vessel measures 28.75m in length overall, with a beam of 10.43m and draft aft of 4.74m. Two Caterpillar 3516B TA HD/C diesels produce a total of 4,930bhp to power a pair of Rolls-Royce US 205 propulsion units with fixed pitch propellers of 2,400mm diameter. Performance figures may vary very slightly from vessel to vessel but on average a bollard pull of 60 tons pulling ahead and 55 tons astern is achieved, with a maximum speed of just over 13 knots.

Equipment fitted to the ASD 2810 fleet varies with the vessel’s employment. Winches are fitted fore and aft and selected vessels are equipped for fire fighting with a single monitor mounted at bridge deck level and supplied by a dedicated diesel powered pump with a capacity of 600 cu/m per hour. A standardised control console of Damen design is fitted to all recent deliveries but the navigation and communications outfit also varies with the operational location.

The final batch of ten vessels to be delivered to Smit are, as previously mentioned, described as the ‘new generation’ and have a redesigned, more compact superstructure intended to give more deck space in the working areas. This includes around the forward winch, thus enhancing personnel safety. This has led to a redesign of the internal layout of the accommodation that also includes relocating equipment from the engine control room to main deck level. That feature and some other changes are intended to optimise the tug for safe and efficient operation by a crew of just two persons, where that scale of manning is applicable.

In the early days of the ASD 2810 production was centred on Gorinchem, utilising hulls constructed in Poland, but the majority of vessels of the type are now built and fitted out at the Damen Galatz shipyard, with some production in the group’s yards in China and Vietnam. Tugs for the Smit order are being launched and named at regular intervals. Among the most recent completions are Smit Saba, Smit Seine, Smit Ebro, Smit Montserrat and Smit Cayman.