TOWLINES July 2010 – by Jack Gaston

The company currently operates a rapidly growing fleet of modern long distance towing and anchor handling vessels ranging from 100 to 300 tons bollard pull. ALP Maritime Services BV was established earlier in the year specialise in worldwide towage, mooring and installation of large floating objects, and transportation of ultra large equipment by means of (semi-submersible) barges and heavy lift vessels (Towlines – April 2010).

Through this joint venture, Harms and ALP will combine forces in the field of global long distance towage, mooring, installation and salvage projects.

Thor, a brand new Emergency Response and Patrol vessel undergoing final outfitting in dry dock in Chile, was seriously damaged when a devastating earthquake and tsunami struck the area earlier in the year. The Rolls-Royce designed vessel, designated a UT512L with a 110 tons bollard pull, was being completed by ASMAR in Chile when a 2.5m tidal wave struck the dry dock, upsetting supports and leaving the ship with a severe list. Thor was due to be delivered in June of this year but as yet there has been no confirmed report on the exact state of the vessel or its completion.

Svitzer Ocean Towage is in the process of completing the modernisation programme on all three of their deepsea tugs; Singapore, Rotterdam and London (MJ – May 2009). Work on London, the final vessel of the trio to undergo this important modernisation, was being completed in the Tuas ST Marine shipyard in Singapore at the time of writing. In addition to a special survey, new high efficiency Lips HR nozzles and propeller blades of a new design were installed to increase bollard pull and free running speed. Both main engines were also fully overhauled and modernised by the original manufacturers Wärtsilä to improve the engine control system and fuel handling. New broadband equipment was installed, allowing 24 hour internet access on board, and a new Transas Dual ECDIS charting system designed to offer more operational flexibility and safety.

SD Dependable, the last of a quartet of purpose designed tractor tugs for use with the UK Royal Navy’s largest warships will be delivered this month. Designed and built by Damen Shipyards and fitted out at the Damen Stellendam Shipyard, this latest delivery follows the SD Reliable, SD Bountiful and SD Resourceful. Designated the ATD 2909, this purpose built series of azimuthing tractor tugs are 29.13m in length overall, with a beam of 9.98m, and are powered by Caterpillar 3512B TA HD main engines delivering a total of 4,023 bhp. The result is a highly manoeuvrable tractor with a bollard pull of 42.7 tons and a maximum speed of over 13 knots both ahead and astern (MJ – December 2009).

The Dutch Coast Guard has now taken the offshore tug supply vessel Ievoli Black on contract as the full time replacement for the emergency towing vessel Waker. Ievoli Black was completed in 2010 and is a vessel of 70m in length, with 10,000 bhp and 120 tons bollard pull. Now under the Dutch flag, the vessel is on station at Den Helder, managed by Svitzer and owned by Marinavi SpA of Naples. Waker was seriously damaged by fire in September 2009, was declared a constructive total loss and has now been scrapped.