TOWLINES

His successor is Ian Ellis, who has been with the company since 1995 and has been at the heart of the company and its success. Ian will be carrying on the well established principals of the company, offering the same level of professional service that clients have come to expect of Macduff. Ian will be ably assisted by senior naval architect Sandy Reid, a staff member since 1996. Under his leadership Macduff Ship Design introduced a whole series of designs for tugs and other craft and developed highly successful relationships with clients and shipyards.

Smit Polen, the last of the twin-screw harbour tugs bearing the ‘country names’, has been sold to Dutch interests for use in Ghana, West Africa. The tug was built by Tille Scheepsbouw BV at Koostertille in 1986 and, along with sister ships Smit Japan, Smit Lagos and Smit Nigeria, was a vessel of 36 tonnes, powered by two Stork-Werkspoor diesel main engines with a total output of 2,400 bhp. Smit Polen was taken over by the new owner on 14 March and after a short maintenance period sailed from Rotterdam a week or so later.

UK operator SMS Towage has taken up an option with tug builders Sanmar and purchased a further 24m Ulupinar class ASD tug. The vessel concerned is the former UlupinarXIII, virtually identical to the two 50 tonnes bollard pull vessels purchased earlier. “We were very pleased to take up this option, declared SMS chairman Paul Escreet. “This latest Ulupinar acquisition was taken over on 29 January and renamed Yorkshireman.” The vessel left Turkey for the UK on 3 February with an SMS crew on board and on arrival in the River Humber later in the month the tug was put to work at Immingham alongside its Ulupinar sister vessels, Statesman and Scotsman.

The first example of the unique EDDY tug is rapidly taking shape at Holland Shipyards BV at Hardinxveld-Giessendam,in the Netherlands (MJ – Nov 2013). After much research and testing this first variant the EDDY 30-65 will be marketed by EDDY Tug BV, which is intending to exhibit the 30m double-ended vessel at the ITS 2014 Conference and exhibition in Hamburg in mid-June. The hull and all major steelwork is complete and fitting out is well underway. The propulsion system will be diesel-electric hybrid, incorporating Mitsubishi S16R diesel main engines, Schottel SRP 3000 propulsion units, Schottel PEM electric motors and Scania powered generators. With this innovative powerplant and unique hull design, the vessel will undoubtedly attract a great deal of interest.