TOWLINES – June 2009
KBV003, the third of a trio of sophisticated emergency response vessels ordered from Damen Shipyards by the Swedish Coastguard, was launched on 18 May at the Galatz yard in Romania (see Maritime Journal – May 2009). The first vessel, KBV001, was ready to be handed over to its owners at much the same time.
The fitting out process aboard
KBV002
is well advanced and delivery is expected at the end of this year. This third vessel,
KBV003
, will carry additional complex equipment for handling and retrieving chemicals at sea and is not scheduled for completion until May 2010.
The 28m ASD tug Stadt Master has been sold by Norwegian operator Stadt Sjotransport A/S to Argonaftis Maritime of Pireaus, Greece and renamed Vernico Master. Built by Pacific Ocean Engineering & Trading in 2006, the 45 tons bollard pull tug is powered by Yanmar main engines of 3,600bhp (total) and Schottel propulsion units. Stadt Sjotransport, based on the west coast of Norway at Floro and Maloy, is due to take delivery of an 85 tons bollard pull Sanmar Eskort 80 in the final quarter of 2009.
Fairplay Towage of Hamburg has taken delivery of the new offshore tug Fairplay 31, the latest vessel in their building programme. The vessel is sister ship to the Fairplay 30, completed by Astilleros Armon in Navia, Spain in August of last year (Maritime Journal – September 2008). Both of the 39m, 85 tons bollard pull ASD tugs are designed and equipped to operate effectively in the offshore market and also carry out shiphandling work if required.
Gibraltar’s principle towage company, TP Towage, has purchased the Voith tractor tug Svitzer Elizabeth from the Humberside fleet of Svitzer. Formerly the Lady Elizabeth and HT Sabre, the tug was built in 1981 by Cochranes at Selby and powered by two Ruston 6RK diesels generating 2,640bhp for a bollard pull of 32 tons. The tug joins the Gibraltar fleet with the new name Rooke.
*** Jack Gaston will be reporting on the recent Tugnology conference in the July issue of Maritime Journal. ***
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