TOWLINES

Uranus

and

Orcus

are to be the names of the next pair of

anchor h

and

ling tugs under construction for the growing German operator Harms Offshore. The vessels will follow closely on the heels of the

Magnus

and

Taurus

(Maritime Journal – October 2006) but have considerably more power. Due for delivery in 2008, both of the 74.3m tugs will have main engines generating 24,500 bhp, a minimum contracted bollard pull of 280 tons

and

a free running speed of approximately 17 knots. In keeping with earlier newbuildings, this latest pair will be equipped for towing

and

anchor h

and

ling but have no internal tankage for bulk cargoes.

JP Knight (Caledonian)Ltd has sold the two Japanese stern drive tugs ‘Kincardine’

and

‘Kinnaird’, acquired earlier in the year. Built in 2002

and

2003 respectively by the Kanagawa Dockyard Company in Kobe, they are tugs of 36m in length with Niigata main engines producing a total of 4,200 bhp

and

a bollard pull of 60 tons. The tugs have been fully employed on various assignments in various ports around the UK but were sold in October to Terminales Maracaibo of Venezuela. It is understood that JP Knight has concluded negotiations for at least one replacement in Japan.

Italian owners SCAFI Societa di Navigazione of La Spezia has placed an order with Damen Shipyards for the construction a further Damen ASD tug 2810. SCAFI or its affiliated companies have now ordered ten new Damen tugs since 1992. In that year SCAFI ordered the first ASD tug built by Damen, the Damen ASD 3110 ‘Citta della Spezia’. In 2001 the operator showed the same level of confidence when it ordered the first of the newly developed Damen ASD tug 2810.

By JACK GASTON