Boluda starts operations in Central America’s only deep-water port

Boluda is operating at the port enclave through its Boluda Towage segment and its Honduran subsidiary in the north of the country on the Caribbean coast. Boluda describes it as ‘one of the largest and best equipped ports in the region’.

It’s a further example of its establishing a global presence, drawing on a fleet of more than 400 vessels operating in ports in Europe, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia and Latin America.

The deployment of two new vessels (and mainstay of the operation) illustrates the capabilities of what can be considered ‘off the shelf’ series-built tugs from the world’s most prolific designers and builders.

Powerful pair

VB Kukulkan and VB Bribon, completed in 2024 at the builder’s Vietnam shipyard, are examples of one of Damen’s most popular designs, the ASD Tug 2312.

First introduced in 2020 as one of its then so-called ‘next generation’ range of tugs, around 30 examples are now in operation worldwide.

As is not uncommon now in shipbuilding generally, Damen Shipyards Group looks beyond the Netherlands, its own domicile location for production of vessels, the ASD Tug 2312 series being series-built in affiliated shipyards in Vietnam, China and Sharjah.

Damen’s faith in its projection for future success of the series is suggested with around 20 further building allocations for the ASD Tug 2312 listed.

A notable feature of the design is where the towing winch is located centrally within the accommodation block, the towline deployed either over the tug’s stern or via a tunnel over the bow.

Boluda’s image of the pair for Honduras indicates the 70tbp vessels have fire-fighting capabilities and their meeting of IMO Tier III emissions standards will make them the first tugs with this environmental qualification to operate in Honduras.

VB Kukulkan and VB Bribon will be joining another 70tbp Boluda tug, VB Chihuahua, built in 2004 as Med Salvor by Torgem Gemi Insaat Sanayii ve Ticaret in Turkey before taking on its new name soon after delivery.

Puerto Cortés, originally known as Puerto de Caballos, is part of Honduras National Port Authority, with activity including exports to the US, an important area of its trade thanks to proximity to US seaports in the Gulf of Mexico and the US East Coast. An agreement with US Customs allows all containers exported from Puerto Cortés to be checked by US customs officials in Honduras.

Reporting the news, Boluda said: “The safety and optimisation of the manoeuvres afforded by these tugboats in port manoeuvres will speed up the logistics chain, guaranteeing the continuous flow of the country’s maritime foreign trade.”