Trojan is purchased by Atlantic Towage

Trojan is a tug of 15.75m in length overall, with a beam of 4.96m and draft of 2.13m, powered by two Gardner 8L3B diesels rated 230bhp each at 1,150 rpm. Power is transmitted to a pair of fixed pitch propellers, rotating in fixed nozzles, via Twin-Disc 514C reverse reduction gearboxes. This gives the tug a bollard pull of 7 tons and speed of 8 knots.

The vessel was rebuilt in January 2010 when its steering gear was overhauled, and a new hydraulic power take off system was installed to drive a six ton winch and windlass. A new Westerbeke 12kva generating set was also installed. Trojan’s wheelhouse is fitted with a full set of electronics, including radar, echo sounder, autopilot, two VHF radios, Navtex, two GPS sets, AIS and two electronic chart packages.

Sean Harrington, proprietor of Atlantic Towage told Maritime Journal, “The vessel is in very good condition, the only immediate work planned is to have a Hiab deck crane and hydraulic ‘A’ frame fitted, and get the vessel sandblasted and repainted.” He plans to use the Trojan for coastal work around Ireland and possibly the UK, and as a support boat for marine construction projects. He secured his first job with the Trojan immediately after purchase, towing a barge from Arklow to Bantry Bay.

Trojan was built by South Ocean Services in 1976 at their Woolston yard, to a design by naval architect Ian Darley. Named Chriani III, its first owner was marine contractor Christiani & Nielsen. The tug was put to work on a project in West Africa. It was sold to Svenborg as the Junior in Denmark in 1991 and was subsequently purchased by Kings Lynn Port Authority in the UK in 1993 as the Conservator, remaining with them until 2003. The tug has since has passed through several hands, finally ending up in Ireland, based in the port of Dublin to act as a supply boat for a drilling platform in Dublin Bay.

Sean harrington also owns the 33m Voith tractor tug Ocean Bank, which serves the oil tanker traffic in Bantry Bay, manoeuvring tankers of between 35,000 and 320,000 tons onto a single buoy mooring facility at the Whiddy Island Oil Terminal.

He also regularly undertakes towage contracts with the Ocean Bank, around the Irish coast and in the UK. The experienced crew is locally based and able to sail at short notice. The company was recently tasked with the recovery of containers that had fallen from the ill-fated MSC Flaminia and remained afloat as a hazard to shipping. Under the direction of the Coastguard, Sean and his crew succeeded in recovering nine containers, operating as far as 120 miles into the Atlantic and into the western approaches south of the Scillies.