TOWLINES
KOTUG has moved into the Las Palmas Building over looking the Maas river in RotterdamKOTUG International moved its Rotterdam office to a new location on the top floor of the Las Palmas Building at Wilhelminakade 318, 3072 AR on 17 January 2014. The company’s postal address, PO Box 22002, 3003 DA Rotterdam and telephone numbers remain unchanged. The iconic ‘Las Palmas Building’ was opened by Bill Clinton in 2007 and has received a sustainability award. Wilhelminakade overlooks Rotterdam’s Maas river and the Erasmus Bridge. The building incorporates many smart energy saving features which are completely in line with KOTUG’s strategy of sustainability and innovation. In spite of its international ambitions, KOTUG feels at home in the port of Rotterdam.
Rimorchiatori Riuniti, the Genoese Group that also owns TugMaltaLtd, has acquired a 50% shareholding in Gesmar, a company that provides towage and related services in the majority of the Adriatic ports. With this latest acquisition RimorchiatoriRiuniti becomesone of the largest operators in the sector, not just in Italy but the Mediterranean as a whole. The other 50% of Gesmar is held by the Fratelli Vitiello. Through Gesmar, Rimorchiatori Riuniti is now extending its control over tugboat services in the ports of Trieste, Ravenna, Ancona, Pescara, Termoli Vasto and Ortona amongst other ports bordering the Adriatic Sea. Rimorchiatori Riuniti also provides harbour towage in Genova, Salerno and Malta and also has significant interests in the oil and gas sector.
In recent months Svitzer has redeployed a number of tugs to make the best use of the plant available in the UK and Western Europe. The two ‘M class 72 tonnes bollard pull ASD tugs Svitzer Malliag and Svitzer Marken have been transferred from the UK and Ijmuiden respectively to Bremerhaven to serve a new joint venture between Svitzer and URAG. Svitzer Trave (formerly Svitzer Trimley) has been returned to the UK from Ijmuiden and not transferred to Lubeck as previous reported. The 80 tonnes bollard pull terminal tug Svitzer Ramsey has been moved from Milford Haven to reinforce the fleet at Sheerness.
A collision occurred in the English Channel on 11 January when the cargo ship Rickmers Dubai, bound for Genoa, passed between the tug Kingston and its tow, the work barge Walcon Wizard. The incident took place in the early hours of the morning and was attended by the Trinity House vessel Galatea and RNLI lifeboats from Dungeness and Dover. The Walcon Wizard was seriously damaged along with the towing gear aboard the Kingston, a tug from fleet of Griffin Towage. The tug crew was reported to be badly shaken but unhurt. The MAIB is to investigate.
