Two new Shoalbusters enter service

As a breed the Shoalbuster has proved to be a remarkably successful vessel, widely adopted by the dredging and marine construction industries and by towage contractors. Since the first vessels were introduced a decade and a half ago, the range offered by Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld has grown in spectacular fashion and now includes vessels from 20m in length and 13 tons bollard pull to a 35m tug with 70 tons bollard pull.

All of these retain many of the same basic features that made the design attractive to operators when the concept was first conceived. Two recent deliveries are typical of the breed now entering service. They are both classed for ‘Unrestricted Service’ and capable of a wide range of towage and anchorhandling operations and on-site support for dredging and marine construction projects.

The MTS Vantage has entered service with the MTS Group, based in the west of England early, in October, joining its existing fleet of ten tugs (MJ – April 2011). This latest addition is a Shoalbuster 2709 purchased from stock and delivered at short notice by Damen Shipbuilders Hardinxveld. MTS Vantage is very similar to the MTS Valiant, another Shoalbuster 2709, delivered to the company in May of 2008.

A vessel of 27.02m in length overall, with a beam of 9.10m and a draft of approximately 2.63m, the tug is powered by two Caterpillar 3512B main engines developing a total of 3,000bhp at 1,600 rpm. The result is a shallow draft multi-purpose tug with a bollard pull of 40 tons and a free running speed of 11.8 knots. Those performance figures and the installation of a twin-drum, waterfall style towing and anchorhandling winch, with both drums located on the centreline, are both reasons for the success of this particular variant.

Managing director of the MTS Group, Mr Jon Parslow, expressed his pleasure when announcing the addition of this latest purchase from Damen. He also commented that, contrary to reports elsewhere, the reason that the tug has Terneuzen as its home port is that, in keeping with other vessels in the fleet, it is registered by the Group’s Dutch office – and is not on charter to another towage organisation.

The second Shoalbuster, worthy of particular mention, is the Sea Foxtrot, delivered to Sea Contractors of Flushing on 15 September. This vessel is a Damen Shoalbuster 3209, also purchased from stock and delivered at short notice, and is the seventh Shoalbuster to join the company’s own fleet and the second 3209 variant.

Sea Foxtrot is a virtual sister ship to the company’s Sea Bravo, which joined the fleet in 2008. The 32.27m long vessel has a beam of 9.35m and a maximum draft of 3.30m. Two Caterpillar 3512B main engines generate a total of 3,344 bhp at 1,600 rpm, giving this larger variant a bollard pull of 50 tons. The twin-drum winch fitted has a brake holding capacity of 125/150 tons and a maximum line pull when anchorhandling of 100 tons. In common with all Shoalbusters, the tug is equipped with a powerful crane, in this case a Heila HLRM 170-4SL with a maximum lift of 7.9 tons at full jib extension of 15.93m.

Within a few days of being handed over, Sea Foxtrot was at work in the North Sea carrying out a variety of operations along the British, Dutch and Belgian coasts.