Multraship order more ASD tugs from Damen

Both tugs will be fully equipped for fire fighting to FiFi 1 standard.They are scheduled for delivery in June/July of this year and will be named Multratug 26 and Multratug 27.

Contracts for the two tugs were signed during the course of Multraship’s annual client gathering in Terneuzen on April 18, where Multraship managing director Leendert Muller said: “We are delighted to have concluded deals for these vessels, built to a proven design by a yard with extensive experience and expertise in this sector. The new tugs will be mostly engaged in harbour towage activities in the Zeeland Seaports and in the Antwerp area. In addition to their primary duties, they will also be on standby, ready to respond in the event of fire or explosion related emergencies in the western and central part of the River Scheldt. That is part of a February 2013 commitment entered into with the Zeeland Safety Region to keep two FiFi 1 tugs on standby.”

Explaining the rationale behind this latest purchase Leendert Muller, who is currently vice-president of the International Salvage Union, continued: “These new tugs provide confirmation of Multraship’s commitment to investing for both the present and the future. In the towage and salvage sector, if you don’t invest, you risk getting left behind. It is also important to demonstrate to all sectors of the maritime industry that you are prepared to invest money, time and resources in everything from research & development to fleet renewal, in order to provide a valuable towage, emergency response and salvage capability.”

The tugs will have a minimum bollard pull of 62.5 tons and a maximum free running speed of 13.5 knots. They are being completed fron ‘stock’ at Damen Shipyards in Galati, Romania, a country in which Multraship has a representative office and provides towage and salvage services as part of its strategic coverage of the Black Sea area.

The ASD Tug 2810 has been a success story for Damen with over 100 tugs in service with clients or currently under construction. A large number are also being built for stock, including a ‘Hybrid’ vesion and a couple of ‘Ice class’ vessels. Since it was first introduced the design has been subjected to considerable refinement and modification in order to benefit from the operational experience of existing clients, and meet the demands of the curent marketplace. Many of the tugs currently in service form the backbone of shiphandling fleets in Europe and elsewhere.

A very recent example of a fully equipped fire fighting version of the ASD Tug 2810 is the Sea Eagles Leader, delivered to Sea Eagles Shipping LLC of St Kitts.