Trio of tug deliveries by Sanmar

All three vessels are example of Sanmar’s Boğaçay class ASD tugs and based on RAL’s RAmparts 2400SX design, two of which are MkII versions. Around 70 of this popular multi-purpose tug are now either delivered or under construction since the first, built as the Boğaçay to become Zeycan Y, was introduced in 2013.

The first of the trio concerns Titan, built under the name Boğaçay LXXII and second vessel in a two-tug contract with Italian shipping group Scafi, for its Croatian subsidiary Jadranski Pomirski Service. It joins the first example Moretto, currently operating as part of Scafi’s fleet in Croatia.

Sanmar describes Titan as ‘the most technologically advanced and environmentally friendly version of Sanmar’s popular and continually evolving Boğaçay class of tug’, the MkII version hailed as ‘the blueprint for the most versatile, multi-purpose type of tug in use today’.

Scafi Group operates more than 40 tugs through subsidiaries and joint ventures in Italy, Croatia, Greece and Morocco.

“We are glad to take delivery of our new tug Titan, a powerful state-of-the-art tug built from a first-class shipyard like Sanmar,” said Paolo Visco, director of Scafi and Jadranski Pomorski Servis. “She will join her twin sister Moretto as an additional step in the renewal programme of our Croatian fleet.

“I am confident this investment will fully empower port of Rijeka to flourish throughout the many development initiatives scheduled soon.”

The second delivery involves Spain’s Boluda Towage, for whom Boğaçay LIII, formerly part of Sanmar’s own fleet and since renamed VB Seebulle, is at the time of writing on passage from Turkey to Germany.

VB Seebulle is Boluda’s fourth delivery in under a year from Sanmar and joins twin sister VB Tragen, delivered earlier this year, currently operating in Germany. VB Seebulle is reported as providing optimal efficiency, carrying out shiphandling duties for sea-going ships with a wide beam enabling greater performance and stability.

Sanmar’s third delivery reported has seen Jacques 5 join the ship-handing tug fleet of JL Tug at Port of Jorf Lasvar in Morocco.

Founded in 2012, JL Tug is head-quartered in Casablanca and currently has three other tugs in its fleet list. The oldest, El Beida, dates from 1997 and is a product of Damen Shipyards, as is the 2012-built Ibrahim 1, a Stan Tug 2608 with Jacques 3 to the same design joining JL Tug’s fleet the following year.

Port of Jorf Lasvar is one of 13 ports and terminals managed by Marsa Maroc and handles around 5.5 million tons a year from its multi-purpose oil and trade terminals. Cargoes include steel products, minerals, oil and gas, and it accommodates vessels of up to 15.6m draught.

Specifications

Sanmar’s Boğaçay class tugs are widely used for coastal towing, escort and other general purpose duties and while based on very similar basic specifications, including lengths overall of 24m and 12m beam, each delivery will be custom built to suit the individual customer’s requirements, such as meeting class and local regulatory rules.

The examples for JL Tug and Scafi are MkII versions of the RAmparts 2400SX (Sanmar exclusive) design, the former offering a bollard pull of 60 tons and speed 12kn and including fire-fighting provision. Scafi’s Titan, meanwhile, has an increased bollard pull of 80 tons and is described as capable of ‘low manning’ operation.

Boluda’s example also has a bollard pull of 80 tons and meets fifi1 rules with a clutched flexible coupling in front of the port main engine, providing approximately 2,700m³/hr of water to tackle blazes. It has accommodation for up to six persons.

“Boluda is a major player in the tug and maritime world and we are delighted to work closely with them to provide the modern, technologically advanced, reliable, and environmentally responsible tugboats that they need to match their specific operational goals,” said Ali Gürün, chairman of Sanmar Shipyards. “VB Seebulle proved itself to be an extremely useful multi-purpose operator during the relatively short time it was part of our fleet, and I am sure that it will continue to do so with its new owners.”