Towlines

Herman Sr. BV. (Jack & Wendy van Dodewaard) has ordered a replacement for the current Shoalbuster, ‘Tarka’. A signing ceremony on 6 February marked the first new order for 2009 for the Hardinxveld yard. The new tug will be a more powerful Shoalbuster 2709, with delivery scheduled for February 2010. A week later, Van Wijngaarden Marine Services placed an order for a new Shoalbuster 3009 to be named ‘Dintlestroom’ and delivered in November of this year. The company operate the very first tug of the 3009 series, ‘Giessenstroom’, completed in 2007.

Danish Tugowners Svenborg Bugser A/S (Rederiet Niels Ove Henriksen) has purchased the Damen Stantug 2207 ‘Poseidon’ from Intertug SA, Cartagena de Indas, Columbia. The twin screw Poseidon was completed in 1993 at Gorinchem, following the construction of the hull and major steelwork in Poland. The 22.55m Cummins engined vessel will be delivered to Europe as deck cargo in the near future.

The International Salvage Union (ISU) has moved offices and from early March the new contact details for Secretary General Mr Mike Lacey are as follows;-

International Salvage Union, Fleet Place House, 2 Fleet Place, Holborn Viaduct, London EC4M 7RF Telephone; +44 (0)2076531624 Email: isu@marine-salvage.com Website: www.marine-salvage.com

Iskes Towage & Salvage has made a further addition to its rapidly growing tug fleet at Ijmuiden. The company has recently purchased the former ‘Bugsier 12’, a 26m Schottel tractor tug from Bugsier Reederei of Hamburg. Built in 1977 and powered by Deutz main engines of 1,740 bhp, the vessel has a bollard pull of 30 tons. On joining the fleet, the tug was rapidly put in Iskes livery and renamed ‘Sirius’.

Among the most recent deliveries to the UK fleets of Svitzer is the compact ASD tug ‘Svitzer Sky’. Built in Vietnam by Damen Shipyards, the Damen ASD 2411 spent some time in the Netherlands undergoing trials and commissioning before arriving at its new home port of Avonmouth. A second tug, ‘Svitzer Sun’, is also destined for the UK. In keeping with other members of the breed, the 24.47m Svitzer Sky is powered by Caterpillar 3516TA HD/D diesels generating 5,600bhp for a bollard pull of 70 tons towing ahead and 66 tons astern.