Worldwise Revamp an Established Anchor-handler Design

Both tugs are being built to the same basic conceptual design, and one that will seem very familiar to many in the towage industry. They are remarkably similar in type to the Typhoon / Tempest built back in 1976-77 and now owned by Svitzer-Wijsmuller and managed by SmitWijs.

Both vessels are now in the water and one is due for completion by the end of this year. Named Primus , the tug is being completed for Hamburg based operator Harms Offshore at the Mutzelfeldtwerft shipyard in Cuxhaven, under contract to Ferrostaal AG of Essen.

The hull, measuring 48.87m in length and 13.80m beam, was constructed in Poland and the vessel launched during the first week of October.

Two MAK 9M25 main engines, producing a total of over 8000bhp, will power the vessel – driving twin controllable pitch propellers, turning in fixed nozzles. This arrangement will give the finished vessel a bollard pull of 120 tonnes and speed of 14 knots.

A similar tug is also under construction for the Suez Canal Authority in the Port Said Shipyard in Egypt. The design for this vessel was also undertaken by Worldwise for Ferrostaal, and is dimensionally identical but will be completed with some differences in propulsion and deck machinery.

Named Port Said , the Egyptian tug will be fitted with smaller MAK 6M25 diesels with a total rating of 7826 bhp for a bollard pull of 105 tonnes.

Construction is well advanced and delivery is expected early in 2005.