Damen success with Italian customers

Italy has long been a destination for Damen-built tugs with two deliveries and an order to mention with this Damen news round-up. Starting with the order, Italian towage service provider Ocean SrL recently signed a contract with Damen covering delivery of a Stan Tug 2608 for harbour towage duties in the port of Monfalcone in the Gulf of Trieste at the northern end of the Adriatic Sea.

Due for delivery in June, the new tug will be Ocean’s first Damen-built tug but not the company’s first Damen product; it took delivery of a Stan Pontoon a couple of years ago and has been satisfied with the performance since, leading to the Stan Tug order. The order is in response to fleet expansion requirements and Mrs Michela Cattaruzza Bellinello, Ocean managing director explains the company’s motivation in the purchase: “We are very aware of Damen’s high standards. And for us, compared to the rest of the market, the price was very competitive. Furthermore, the fact that the delivery is extremely fast is very attractive.”

The 26m, 45tbp tug is being built at Damen’s Song Cam Shipyard to Ocean’s specifications including modifications to the standard design. These include addition of a 600m3/hr fifi1 installation, an aft winch and other changes to satisfy Italian flag requirements.

Turning to the two Italian deliveries, first stop is at the office of Rimorchiatori Augusta who recently took delivery of another Song Cam Shipyard product, the ASD Tug 2810 Capo Boeo. Rimorchiatori Augusta is a new venture for the Rimorchiatori Riuniti group and this delivery is the first new vessel for the company, demonstrating its commitment to the Sicilian port of Augusta in which it is to operate.

Capo Boeo sailed on its own keel from Vietnam and as is often mentioned when reporting Damen news, a quick delivery time down to the builder’s serial production philosophy. Damen produces around 40 standard design tugs per year up to 60m in length, many for stock allowing a rapid final completion to suit specific customer requirements.

Once again, modifications were specified to suit the customer’s specific requirements including fifi1 notation, upgraded towing hooks and Italian flag requirements.

The final delivery to Italian owners in this report is the Damen ASD Tug 2913 Germania, also for Rimorchiatori Riuniti (the parent company of Rimorchiatori Augusta in the previous delivery). Germania was built a little closer to home for the customer, a product of Damen’s Galati shipyard in Romania and follows Riuniti’s order for a second identical vessel, the contract for which was signed towards the end of 2016.

Modifications from the basic design for Germania include installation of fifi1 capabilities and meeting oil recovery and escort notations; it is also supplied with an aft deck towing winch making it available for offshore duties. As with the previous Italian tugs mentioned, it also meets national flag requirements.

The 80tbp Germania is stationed at Genoa, Italy’s largest seaport which in particular handles a large volume of passenger transport in the form of ferries and cruise ships. Rimorchiatori had an inspector attending the shipyard during construction of this and also the second identical sister tug which is due for delivery in mid-May.

The final delivery to report takes us across the Atlantic to the Mexican port of Manzanillo where the Damen ASD Tug 3212 TMM Colima is now in operation for Grupo TMM. Ongoing port modifications and changes in the port authority’s requirements led to the decision to upgrade towage provision at Manzanillo. With a bollard pull of 80t the port’s tug fleet is now well equipped to handle larger ships.

TMM Colima was financed through Damen Customer Finance and sailed to Mexico on its own keel from Damen’s Song Cam Shipyard in Vietnam.

By Peter Barker