Towlines
SMS Towage Limited, based in Hessle on HumbersideUK, has moved into the Bristol Channel with a new subsidiary SMS Towage (Bristol Channel) Ltd and is currently offering towage services in the South Wales ports of Newport, Cardiff and Barry. The 22.6m ASD tug Trueman, a tug of 32 tonnes bollard pull has been transferred from the Humber to Newport and two newly acquired Voith tractors are currently in Cardiff. Both tractor tugs are former German owned vessels. The Roman (ex: Rotesand) is a 28.53m tug with 25 tonnes bollard pull and the Nobleman (ex: Tesa, ex: Midgard III) is 30.38m and 34 tonnes bollard pull.
The 53 tonnes bollard pull shiphandling tug Smit Ahoda has been returned to the Smit fleet after about a year in the UK on charter to Targe Towing Ltd. During that period the tug was stationed in the lower Thames as part of the Targe fleet, competing for shiphandling work at Tilbury and elsewhere on the river. Smit Ahoada is an ASD tug of 32.82m in length and 3,200 bhp. It was originally one of a series of tugs built by Damen Shipyards in 1999 for terminal operation under the Bahamas flag. The vessel has now been assigned to the URS fleet in Antwerp and renamed Smit Belgie.
US towage and logistics group Crowley Maritime and PB Towage Ltd of Australia have formed a business alliance that combines their respective services and regional positioning. The alliance will enable the companies to provide comprehensive project management, project cargo transportation, logistics, ocean towing, offshore support, salvage support and bulk cargo transportation solutions to oil and gas, mining, and other clients undertaking major infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Crowley’s solutions team in Houston will interface with PB Towage operating in Australia and New Zealand, through its PB Sea-Tow brand, to offer clients a seamless service. PB Towage Ltd, formed in 2007, is a subsidiary of Pacific Basin Shipping Limited, one of the world’s leading owners and operators of modern Handysize and Handymax dry bulk vessels and is a global provider of diversified shipping services, listed and headquartered in Hong Kong.
The Cheoy Lee Shipyard in Hong Kong has delivered the thirteenth and last, 5,844 bhp, Z-tech 6500 Class tug in the most recent batch ordered by ACP (the Panama Canal Authority). Like all of the previous vessels, the 27.4m Tonosi was delivered under its own power. The 9,700 nautical mile voyage via Hawaii to Balboa was undertaken by a delivery crew from Redwise Maritime Services BV. When the tug was formally delivered to the ACP late in February ahead of schedule, the total number of Z-Tech’s built for the canal by Cheoy Lee was 21.
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