TOWLINES

Engelsman Towage & Salvage has sold the tug

Dutch Partner

to EDT Offshore of Cyprus. The 27.8m twin screw shallow draft vessel was built by Gebr Kooiman at Dordrecht in 2004.

Dutch Partner

has two Caterpillar 3512 DITA main engines of 1,521bhp to achieve a bollard pull of 30 tons. This latest transaction leaves proprietor Rob Engelsman without a vessel until he takes delivery of

Statum, a

new Damen Shoalbuster 3009, at the end of October.

Among the tugs sold by Svitzer during recent weeks are the Australian built twin screw tug Svitzer Maria and the Voith tractor Carron. The former was originally the Yarra, built in 1975 and transferred to the UK by predecessors Howard Smith in 2000 and renamed Lady Maria for use on the Medway. A tug of 29m in length, powered by two Mirrlees Blackstone main engines of 2,440 bhp (total), Svitzer Maria has a bollard pull of 42 tons. The tug has been sold for use in Togo, West Africa. Carron is one of a pair of identical fire fighting tugs built in 1979 for use at Grangemouth and has a similar specification to Holmgarth, recently sold to Fowey. Carron has been sold to Sinbad Marine Services of Killybegs in Ireland.

GPS Marine Services, based at Chatham in the UK and at Sliedrect in the Netherlands, has reinforced its tug and barge transportation fleet on the Thames and Medway with the addition of two small tugs. The tugs Jenny and Eerland 4, both single screw barge tugs of approximately 22m, were purchased in Holland and towed to the UK along with some additional barges. The tugs have been renamed Ionia and Iberia respectively.

The hull of the twin screw Damen Stan Tug 2608, bearing the name SD Hercules is now being fitted out by Damen Shipyards at Gorinchem. This vessel is the first of 16 tugs on order for Serco Denhom to support their long term marine services contract to the British Navy. Damen are supplying a package of 29 vessels of all types. Two workboats and six fast crew transport/pilot boats will have been delivered by the end of 2008, and the remaining vessels by December 2010. SB Hercules is due for completion in January 2009.