Download Newsletter 48 2011 - Towingline.com

12 TH VOLUME, NO. 48 DATED 04 DECEMBER 2011 

BUYING, SALES, NEW BUILDING, RENAMING AND OTHER TUGS TOWING & OFFSHORE INDUSTRY NEWS 

TUGS & TOWING NEWS 

NEW MOTOR TUG ST ELMO INAUGURATED 

A new 75 tonnes bollard 

pull harbour and escort 

tug was launched by Tug 

Malta Limited today. 

The tug was christened 

'St Elmo' by the 

President's wife, 

Margaret Abela, at the 

Valletta Waterfront, in 

the presence of 

President George Abela, 

the president and the 

managing director of 

Rimorchiatori Riuniti Group, Giovanni delle Piane and Gregorio Gavarone, respectively, and other 

members of the board of directors of Tug Malta Limited. Archbishop Paul Cremona blessed the tug. 

'St Elmo is an Azimuth stern drive tug, designed by Robert Allan Ltd and built by the Spanish 

shipyard Astilleros Zamakona. It is fully equipped with fire-fighting class 1 equipment, towing 

winches and a deck crane, all necessary for normal tow operations and for emergencies - to provide 

assistance in life saving, equipment rescuing and environmental protection situations both within 

and outside the territorial waters of Malta. The vessel is equipped with two Rolls Royce Aquamaster 

propulsion units and twin Caterpillar main engines. It was delivered to Malta from Spain under the 

command of Master Kenneth Linwood and manned by Maltese and foreign crew members. She will 

be based in Malta and will be deployed to render harbour towage services, salvage and offshore 

towage services. Tug Malta Ltd's investment outlay of €8 million in 'St Elmo now brings the fleet to 

a total of eight tugs. This latest addition continues to modernise the company's fleet configuration in 

terms of type, tug power and capacity as to better meet the local shipping industry's towage 

requirements particularly when deployed at the busy port of Marsaxlokk where increasingly larger 

ships are calling. Coupled with the introduction of the Mt Spinola in June 2009, the investment in 

the new tug is consonant with Rimorchiatori Riuniti's fulfilment of its commitment towards the 

government at the time of acquisition of Tug Malta to invest in two new tugs in the initial five years 

of operations. The said investment exceeds the technical specifications set out in the Harbour 

Towage Agreement. Now that 'St Elmo has joined the fleet, Tug Malta is even more better equipped 

to serve the industry as well as pursue its growth strategy to develop more aggressively offshore 

activity in the Mediterranean. In addition to the capital outlay undertaken in the two tugboats, 

coupled with the recent huge investment in a new anchor handling vessel deployed overseas to 

expand capacity in the off-shore market, the Rimorchiatori Riuniti in September committed itself to 

a further $74.6 million investment in two new bulk carriers – Panamaxes of 76,500 tonnes each 

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12 TH VOLUME, NO. 48 DATED 04 DECEMBER 2010 

currently being built in South Korea by SPP Plant & Shipbuilding Co Ltd. The investment is to be 

undertaken by Bulk Malta Ltd, a newly formed Maltese subsidiary company of the group. The first 

of these vessels is expected to be delivered in 2013 and the second will be due in early 2014. Both 

Panamaxes will be deployed to carry any type of dry cargo anywhere in the world. Bulk Malta Ltd 

will ultimately own and operate the said bulk carriers. (Source & Photo: Times of Malta) 

Advertisement 

HISTORICAL MEETING ON HIGH SEAS 

This watercolor made by Hans Breeman shows an historical meeting on highseas of two impressive 

ships, known in Dutch Maritime History. The largest "Zwarte Zee", the last one carrying this famous 

name as part of the fleet of Smit Internationale, meets the ss Rotterdam, largest historical Dutch 

passenger ship of the Dutch merchant navy in those days. www.hansbreeman.nl As of from 

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December 17th next, there will be a maritime painting exhibition available to see in Gallerie R, van 

van Beethovenlaan 60, 3055JD Rdam, showing about 55 paintings from Frans Romeijnsen and Hans 

Breeman. Opening will be on december 17 th at 15.30 hrs, admission is free. (Source: Hans 

Breeman) 

SVITZER'S SINGAPORE 

We are making good progress with 

our tow the Smit Borneo, and our 

ETA is unchanged. The picture was 

after passing Torres Strait, which took 

us 12 hours to get through this narrow 

passage under pilotage, sailing through 

the Coral Sea, is in the Pacific. It is a 

little bit bumpy but then you realize 

you are on a ship. The ETA for the 

Rena is tomorrow 5 th December 2011. 

(Greetings Marc Biemans o/b 

Singapore) 

Advertisement 

SMIT AMANDLA MARINE STRENGTHENS ITS FOOTHOLD IN MOZAMBIQUE 

– CONSOLIDATES POSITION WITH PETROSA 

Specialist marine services company SMIT Amandla Marine has strengthened its presence and 

foothold in Mozambique with several useful contracts as it seeks to position itself in that southern 

African country. The black empowered company based in Cape Town and with offices and 

workshops in Durban and Mossel Bay, has landed several new and interesting contracts in 

Mozambique. These include securing a key harbour towage contract in the port of Beira, as well as a 

more recent success with a contract signed with Brazilian mining group Vale to provide two vessels 

at Beira in support of a new offshore coal terminal out of Beira. To service this contract two tugs are 

being provided, a newbuild Damen Stan tug and the Pentow Service, the latter being the former 

Durban offshore single buoy mooring service tug. Managing Director Paul Maclons said that in the 

last 24 months SMIT Amandla Marine has secured a good foothold in Mozambique with the Port of 

Beira contract and the more recent marine services contract signed with Vale. “This is for two 

vessels, marine services and the provision of an offshore terminal out of Beira,” he explained. 

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Maclons said that SMIT 

Amandla Marine was awaiting 

the “imminent outcome of a 

tender submitted to Kenmare for 

vessel management services out 

of Moma in Mozambique.” The 

company also assisted Kenmare 

with the drydocking of the 

general cargo vessel Sofia III 

(2136-gt, built 1978) in Durban. 

He added that SMIT Amandla 

Marine has been actively 

pursuing growth opportunities 

in Namibia, Madagascar and 

Mauritius, “supported by a 

proven logistics chain and ability 

to transfer skills and competencies in our chosen markets,’ he said. Maclons explained that the 

company had tabled a growth strategy at the end of 2009 which outlined its intent to pursue 

business opportunities in Southern and East Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands, whilst maintaining 

key contracts in South Africa. The strategy was intended to address the risk of possible loss of South 

African Government contracts – identified as a concern as early as 2008 – and ensure sustainability. 

In respect of SMIT Amandla Marine’s continued presence in South Africa, the company successfully 

tendered for two significant PetroSA contracts. These are for the provision of a South Africanmanned 

DP II vessel for PetroSA’s F-O Field Development Operations in 2012 offshore of Mossel 

Bay, and for the management of PetroSA’s Marine Loading Facility and E-BT terminal at Mossel 

Bay. The DP-II vessel will be the offshore tug and supply ship Peridot (2,464-gt, built 2010), with a 

contract commencing in 2012. She will be manned by a fully South African crew. In addition in 

November the Level 3 BBBEE company introduced a new vessel into its terminal operation in 

Durban for its client Sapref. The SMIT Amandla pusher tug Siyakhulu (469-gt, built 2009), joined 

the Smit Siyunda in early November in support of operations at the SBM offshore of Durban. SMIT 

Amandla Marine was more recently in the news in September after successfully refloating the 

grounded tanker Phoenix off Sheffield Beach near Durban on behalf of the South African Maritime 

Safety Authority and the National Department of Transport – for whom it is an official service 

provider. Vessel chartering and offshore support activities were buoyed this year by significant 

contracts with WesternGeco, Namibian Marine Phosphate and provision of services to Total’s FPSO 

USAN. The company holds the 2011 National Business Award for ‘Diversity in the Work Place’ – 

backed up by its position as the leading employer of black South African seafarers with a diverse and 

representative workforce. Permanent employees are shareholders in the business through an 

Employee Trust which owns 12% of the company and realised dividends in April 2011 with a 

payout to all beneficiaries. “Despite a global economic recession, we have been able to maintain a 

steady investment in our people and the communities in which we operate and have successfully 

established a talent pipeline to ensure sustainability in competence and skill,” said Maclons. “The 

pursuit of safe operations and continued service excellence remain key drivers, as is the continued 

development of a sustainable pool of SMME and black owned suppliers. We are well positioned for 

the future and for whatever challenges may come our way into 2012 and have achieved success in 

addressing business risk,” he said. (Source: Ports & Ships Maritime News; Photo: Terry Hutson) 

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DOCKMAN THAMES TOWAGE 

One week ago the 1948 built at the 

Henry Scarr Ltd. – Hessle under 

number 618 tug Dockman departed 

from Stellendam; Netherlands with 

a small barge. The Dockman was 

built as Stamford Brook for River 

Lighterage Co. Ltd. – London. In 

1963 sold to United Towing Co Ltd 

– Hull and renamed Dockman. In 

1973 sold to Cory Lighterage Ltd – 

London. In 198? Sold to Bailey & 

Boynton – Hull. In 198? sold to 

Humber Tugs. In 1989 sold to Tyne 

Towage – Gateshead and rebuilt, reengined 

diesel 2t British Polar type 

M471, 520bhp-388kW. In 1992 sold to Survey & Supply (I.B. Harvey) – Grimsby. In 1993 rebuilt, 

re-engined GM Detroit, 650bhp, renamed Alkelda. In 1998 sold to Tyne Towage – Hebburn and 

renamed Dockman. In 200? rebuilt wheelhouse, pushknee, re-engined diesel Dorman type 312. In 

2009 to Thames Towage – London. (Photo: Jacco van Nieuwenhuyzen; History: Piet van Dammen) 

RT SAMBA & RT TANGO SOLD 

Advertisement 

At the ASL shipyard in Singapore yesterday the 

85 ton BP Rotortug ® RT Tango was lifted out of 

the water in preparation for the departure to 

Western Europe, the tug is sold to an 

"undisclosed buyer" and will be renamed Smit 

Emu for use in the port of Zeebrugge. The 

Rotortug ® RT Samba , sistership of the RT 

Tango, seen 26 th November "dry" at the ASL yard 

in Singapore for cleaning and inspection prior 

departure for Western Europe, to be used in the 

port of Zeebrugge. Achieving a bollard pull in 

excess of 86 tons ahead and astern in a hull with an overall length of only 28 meter length and a 

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beam of 12 meter, combined with the unique capabilities of a Rotortugs such as towing in all 

directions, the tugs are considered being amongst the worlds most powerful harbor tugs. The tugs 

are equipped with three ABC 8DZC engines of over 1800kW each driving 3 Schottel SRP1215 

controlable pitch azimuth thrusters. The classification is Bureau Veritas and the notation further 

mentions Ice Class and Fire Fighting 1. Delivery is planned the first or second week of December, 

the tug RT Samba will be renamed in Smit Kiwi prior departure. (Source & Photo: Piet Sinke - 

www.maasmondmaritime.com) 

BEAMER SOLD 

The 1983 Built at the McTay Marine Ltd – Bromborough under number 48, Leith tug Beamer (Imo 

8208830), which has been laid up since 11 th October 2011, with the redundancy of 5 crew members, 

has been sold. Rumoured that she remain in the U.K. East Coast. Name of the buyer, as yet, 

unknown. The tug was delivered 1983 to City Leasing Ltd. with managers Forth Estuary Towage 

Ltd. a subsidiary of Forth ports Authority – Leith. In 1992 the company restyled Forth Ports PLC – 

Edinburgh. She has a 4 stroke 6 cylinder Allen type 6BPCS12-F main diesel engine with an output 

of 1,824 bhp. She has a speed of 11.7 knots and a bollard pull of 20 tons. (Source: Ian Duff) 

OSD TO DESIGN LOW-EMISSION TUG FOR ISKES 

Offshore Ship Designers has been 

contracted to develop the design of 

a low-emission diesel-electric 

harbour tug for IJmuiden-based 

Iskes Towage & Salvage. The 32metre 

loa tug will have a bollard 

pull of 70 tonnes and will be 

powered by three diesel gensets 

driving electric motors mounted 

over azimuthing propellers aft and 

a Voith in-line thruster forward. 

The Azistern 3270 tug is a further 

development of the low-emission 

Azistern series developed by OSD. 

It is expected to reduce emissions by 30 per cent compared to conventional, similar-sized harbour 

tugs now in service. Michiel Wijsmuller, managing director of OSD, says, “The design and demand 

for this low-emission tug stems from our successful work developing the zero-emission Green Tug 

design. Iskes was one of the key partners in that project. We can see the market is not yet ready for 

fuel cell power for harbor tugs, but we can take from the development work other aspects of the 

design which minimise emissions. This vessel will have a very refined and efficient hull form and a 

sophisticated power management system which will ensure that the gensets work always at their 

best efficiency.” Key points of the design brief are a relatively large deck crane to enable the tug to 

do maintenance work for wind farms at sea, electrical winches, low resistance and low-wash hull 

form and accommodation for seven crew. (Press Release Merlinco; Image: OSD) 

KVICHAK LANDS SEATTLE PUSH-BOAT ORDER 

Seattle City Light has awarded a contract to Kvichak Marine Industries to design and build a push- 

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boat to operate at the Ross Lake dam in the 

North Cascades. The push-boat will be used for 

large debris removal to ensure continuous power 

generation through the dam. The vessel will 

feature a removable pilothouse to ease delivery 

on the route to Ross Lake. Kvichak delivered a 

similar vessel to Seattle City Light in April, 

which services Diablo Lake. The boat will 

measure 7.85 metres in length, with a beam of 

3.66 metres and a draft of 1.04 metres. Weighing 

7.8 tonnes, the hull and superstructure will be 

constructed of marine grade aluminum alloy 

plate and extrusions. Two vertical push knees 

will be located at the bow, padded by a 15-centimetre rubber D-section. The push boat will be 

powered by a John Deere 224kW turbocharged diesel engine with a stainless steel prop in a 37 

nozzle, delivering a bollard pull of 2,331 kilograms. The vessel is designed for a crew of three, with 

fuel capacity of 908 litres. Delivery is scheduled for September 2012. (Source: Baird) 

TUGBOAT MODEL AHTI 

The very fine tugboat model AHTI 

has been sold to Sweden. The 1:20 

scale scratched model tugboat 

AHTI is seen just before sending to 

her new Swedish owner. The 

model is built from scratch with 

the help from Neste Oil / Finland. 

She is 1.7m long and 0.65m wide. 

She is sold as a display model, but 

she was planned as a working RCmodel. 

(Source & Photo of the 

builder Stefan Thienel) 

Advertisement 

7/24


CARIBEAN TUG 

8/24 

Remember the last photo of this laid up 

Dominican Republic tug Caribean tug 

(KAS). She was abandoned with a hole 

in the engine room and left by her 

owner, never paid I think. She is now 

starting a new life as tugboat for the 

local ship yard, Ciramar. (Photo: Rinus 

Koppenhol) 

TAIKOO - LATEST DELIVERY OF POPULAR RAMPARTS 3000 CLASS TUG 

FOR HONG KONG UNITED DOCKYARDS 

In October, 2011 Cheoy Lee Shipyards handed over the first in a series of four RAmparts 3000 tugs 

designed by Robert Allan Ltd. to its proud owners; Hong Kong United Dockyards (HUD). The 

Taikoo is the latest edition of this widely accepted RAmparts class design from Robert Allan Ltd., 

and derives its name from a historic dockyard in Hong Kong operated by Butterfield and Swire 

beginning in 1907. The yard was responsible for building some of the largest ships in the world 

during the early 1900's. It was closed in the '70's to be developed into private housing. The 

operation eventually merged with Whampoa Dockyard to become Hong Kong United Dockyards. 

The RAmparts 3000 Class Terminal Support Tug is a 30 metre Azimuth Stern Drive (ASD) tug, 

specifically designed for ship assist and coastal towing operations. This vessel is designed to meet the 

requirements of HUD for operations in and around Hong Kong. This particular version has an 

extended deckhouse with additional accommodation for the crew and cadets that will be aboard the 

vessel. Particulars of Taikoo are as follows: Length Overall - 30.00 metres; Beam, moulded, extreme 

- 11.60 metres; Depth, Moulded (hull) - 5.10 metres; Maximum draft (DWL) - 5.08 metres; Loadline


draft - 4.2 m above base line. The tug is classed by Lloyd's register of Shipping - 100A1 Tug; LMC, 

TUG, Unrestricted Service. Tank Capacities are as follows: Fuel Oil - 164 m³; Fresh Water - 29 m³; 

On trials, Taikoo met or exceeded all performance expectations, with the following results: Bollard 

Pull, ahead - 74 tonnes; Bollard Pull, astern - 67 tonnes; Free running speed, ahead - 13.0 knots. The 

vessel has been outfitted to the highest standards for a crew of up to twelve (12) people, although 

the normal operating crew is five (5). The deck machinery comprises a Plimsoll HAETW/GDG-22- 

65/150 Hawser Winch at the bow, a Plimsoll HTW/SD-20/150 Towing Winch on the aft deck, and a 

Palfinger PK32002M knuckle-boom crane. The large main deckhouse contains a spacious galley and 

mess, three (3) double-cabins, a provisions store room, and a common washroom. The lower deck 

contains one (1) double cabin, one (1) quadruple cabin, a stores locker, laundry, and a common 

washroom. The wheelhouse is designed for maximum all-round visibility with forward and aft 

control stations providing maximum visibility to both fore and aft deck working areas. Main 

propulsion for each tug comprises a pair of Niigata 6L28HX diesel engines, each rated 1,838 kW at 

750 rpm, and each driving a Niigata Model ZP 41 Fixed pitch Z-drive unit, in ASD configuration. 

The electrical plant comprises two (2) identical diesel gen-sets, each with power output of 80 kW 

380V, 50Hz, 3-phase. Ship-handling fenders at the bow comprises two rows of 800 x 450 cylindrical 

fenders. A 350 x 350 hollow "D" fender provides protection at the main and foc'sle deck sheer lines, 

and 300 mm "W" block type fendering is used at the stern. (Source & Photo: Robert Allan Ltd) 

LAUNCHING A.H.T.S. MAASSTROOM 

On Tuesday 15th November 

2011, our tug / workboat 

“Maasstroom” is transported 

from the manufacturing hall 

Hardinxveld-Giessendam to the 

riverside, by using a heavy 

transport vehicle. Owned by 

Mammoet Heavy Lifting & 

Transport company from 

Schiedam. By using of two local 

floating sheerlegs the hull was 

lifted from the trailer and put 

into the water of the river 

Merwede. On Thursday 17th 

November, after performing some necessary work, the “Maasstroom” was transported to Aalst, by 

using the push / tug “Vliestroom”. Over there will take place the further outfitting. The AHTS type 

Euro Tug 2300 is built under yard number NP401 at the Neptune Shipyard B.V. – Aalst; 

Netherlands. The delivery of the vessel is scheduled for the end of March 2012. (Source: Van 

Wijngaarden Marine Services) 

ACCIDENTS – SALVAGE NEWS 

FAIRMOUNT ALPINE ASSISTS DRIFTING VESSEL OFF CUBA 

Fairmount Marine’s powerful tug Fairmount Alpine played an important role by avoiding a 

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shipping disaster on the coast of Cuba. The crew of the Fairmount Alpine managed to connect with 

the drifting cargo vessel off Cuba and managed to tow the distressed vessel into safe waters. The 

cargo vessel was reported drifting off Cuba with main engine trouble. Fairmount Alpine was asked 

to proceed full speed towards Cuba, to render assistance to the vessel that was drifting dangerously 

towards the northeastern Cuban coast. It was estimated that the vessel would hit the rocks of Punta 

Brava before the Fairmount Alpine was due to arrive. With a speed of close to 16 knots Fairmount 

Alpine arrived at the rendezvous position very fast and radio contact was established between the 

masters of Fairmount Alpine and of the drifting vessel. At that moment the vessel was very close to 

the Cuban coast already. The vessels crew finally managed to start the main engine with its broken 

crankshaft and on three of its six cylinders. Consequently the vessel was able to stay away from the 

coast. Shortly afterwards the Fairmount Alpine was in position to establish an emergency towing 

connection in order to keep the distressed vessel under control and to tow her towards Kingston, 

Jamaica. After a little over two and a half days of slow steaming Kingston was reached. With the 

assistance of two pilots and a Kingston harbor tug, the vessel was safely anchored at the Port Royal 

anchorage off Kingston. After the safe delivery on the inner anchorage, Fairmount Alpine was 

released from her duties. Fairmount Marine is a marine contractor for ocean towage and heavy lift 

transportation, headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Fairmount’s fleet of tugs consists of 

five modern super tugs of 205 tons bollard pull each, especially designed for long distance towing. 

(Press Release Fairmount) 

Advertisement 

TIRED TUG BOAT CREWMAN AIDED BY HARWICH LIFEBOAT 

10/24 

A tired tug boat crewman who had been at 

the wheel for 14 hours was assisted by the 

Harwich lifeboat last Friday. Thames 

Coastguard received a call at 3.36am from 

the Dockman reporting that all of the four 

crew were fatigued and seasick because of 

adverse conditions. To add to their woes 

the engine on the tug, which was pulling a 

50m tow 15 miles out at sea, had failed and 

the boat was drifting towards a Felixstowe 

windfarm. Only one of the crew was left 

able to work, and had been navigating the 

boat for 14 hours. The Harwich lifeboat


team stood-by while the tug got its engine restarted, and then escorted it to safe waters. The tug was 

then able to carry on its journey later in the morning. (Source : Clacton Gazette; Photo: Jacco van 

Nieuwenhuyzen; see report of departure above also) 

DURBAN PILOT BOAT MISSES PORT ENTRANCE, GOES AGROUND 

At around midnight on Sunday night the 

Durban port pilot boat Lufafa, returning 

to port after placing a marine pilot on 

board a ship waiting to enter harbour, 

somehow missed the now widened 

entrance channel and ran aground after 

colliding with an old disused concrete 

pier on the seaward side of the South 

Pier breakwater. The five crew on board 

were not injured and all were airlifted to 

safety by the Transnet National Ports 

Authority (TNPA) pilot helicopter. 

According to the TNPA the Lufafa has 

suffered only minor damage and was 

later refloated and taken safely back into harbor In a statement the TNPA said the Lufafa ran 

aground due to “challenging weather conditions, which included extreme swell and poor visibility.” 

Durban did experience a heavy electrical storm with lots of rain on Sunday night. On Monday a 

team of experts was assembled to refloat the vessel, using the late afternoon high tide to successfully 

accomplish the task. On Tuesday marine personnel under the leadership of Captain Mogamat 

Plaatjes, deputy harbour master and acting in the absence of Capt. Dennis Mqadi who is overseas, 

was locked in meetings for most of the day enquiring into the casualty. The port of Durban uses a 

dual pilotage system comprising pilot boats (two) and helicopters (two) and as a result port 

operations have not been affected. (Source & Photo: Ports and Ships) 

MALTA NEWS 

By Capt. Lawrence Dalli 

SPARROW HAWK FORMER KEEN EXPRESS 

11/24 

Last week was seen the 1976 built SLE flag 

offshore tug/supply ship Sparrow Hawk 

offshore Malta during her delivery voyage on 

Monday 28th November, 2011. She’s the 

former Keen Express of Vroon Offshore 

Services(VOS). (Source & Photo: Cpt. 

Lawrence Dalli - www.maltashipphotos.com)


OFFSHORE NEWS 

MICLYN EXPRESS OFFSHORE WINS FIVE YEAR CONTRACTS FOR TWO 

OSVS IN SAUDI ARABIA 

Miclyn Express Offshore (“MIO”) 

announces that two Offshore 

Support Vessels (“OSVs”), the 

Miclyn Grace and Miclyn Grand, 

have been awarded five year 

contracts to act as Multipurpose 

Vessels for Saudi Aramco in Saudi 

Arabia. The vessels are currently 

serving out their existing charter 

contracts in Thailand and Qatar 

respectively and will commence 

the new charters in early 2012 on 

stronger day rates. The aggregate 

value of the two contracts is 

US$33 million. CEO Diederik de 

Boer said “Miclyn has been providing Crew/Utility Vessel services to Saudi Aramco for some time 

and we are delighted to extend this important relationship into OSV services. This long term 

contract supports our overall fleet strategy of maximising utilisation”. (Source: Miclyn Int. Offshore) 

ROLLS-ROYCE TO DESIGN PSVS 

Advertisement 

Rolls-Royce received an order from Singapore-based offshore company, PaxOcean, to design and 

equip two oil platform supply vessels. The vessels are to be built at PaxOcean Engineering's ship 

yard in Zhuhai, China. The £10 million contract includes vessel design, a fully integrated Rolls- 

Royce diesel electric propulsion system and deck machinery. Ronny Pål Kvalsvik, Rolls-Royce, 

Sales Manager, Ship Technology - Offshore, said: "We are delighted to continue our strong 

relationship with PaxOcean Engineering and to add to their fleet of Rolls-Royce designed ships. 

These vessels combine a proven Rolls-Royce design with a range of mission-critical onboard 

technology, enabling safe and efficient operation in the challenging environments of offshore oil 

and gas fields." YK Tang, Director Group Marketing, PaxOcean Engineering added: "We are very 

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pleased to announce provision of these UT 

755CD vessels as part of our continued effort to 

provide our customers with the latest 

technology in offshore support vessels, forthe 

demanding worldwide deepwater oil and gas 

market." The two platform supply vessels will 

have an overall length of 78.7m, a 16m beam 

and a deck cargo area of 670sq. m. They will be 

built in accordance with clean design 

regulations and be equipped for firefighting 

and oil recovery. Planned delivery of the 

vessels is in the first half of 2013. The Rolls-Royce UT 755 CD design is a development of the 

popular UT 755 series vessel, designed specifically for supplying equipment to oil and gas platforms. 

Since the first UT 755 was delivered in 1996, more than 180 vessels of this design have gone into 

service or are on order worldwide. (Source; MarineLink; Image: Rolls Royce) 

STX CONFIRMS TWO PLATFORM SUPPLY VESSELS CONTRACTS FROM 

ISLAND OFFSHORE 

STX OSV, one of the major global designers and 

shipbuilders of offshore and specialized vessels, 

reported that contracts for two Platform Supply 

Vessels (PSV) with Island Offshore have been 

confirmed. The contracts had originally been 

announced on 30 October 2011, subject to 

financing approvals. All subjects have now been 

lifted and the contracts have been made 

effective. In an e-mailed statement to Offshore 

Energy Today, Island Offshore confirmed the 

deal and said “this newbuilding order is a part 

of Island Offshore’s strategic growth in this 

segment.” The estimated contract value is $85 million (NOK 500 million). The vessels will be of 

Rolls Royce’s UT 717 CD design. The overall length of each vessel will be 84.3 meters with a beam 

of 17 meters, and the deadweight will be approximately 3800 DWT. Deliveries are scheduled from 

STX OSV Brevik in Norway in the third and fourth quarter 2013. (Source & Photo: STX OSV) 

SWIRE PACIFIC OFFSHORE RECEIVES ORDER FOR 4 PSV’S 

Swire Pacific Offshore Operations (Pte) Limited 

has receives an order for 4 Platform Supply 

Vessels. The vessels will be built by Universal 

Shipbuilding Corporation in Japan. The 5,000 

DWT vessels will be classed with DP2 capability 

and have diesel electric propulsion systems. The 

vessels will be delivered progressively from early 

2014. This order follows on from an order earlier 

in the year for 4 sister vessels from the EISA 

shipyard in Brazil. Neil Glenn, Managing Director 

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of Swire Pacific Offshore, said, “We are excited to announce the orders for our H Class series of 

large PSVs. We see large PSVs as an important market segment moving forward which will meet 

with the requirements of our key customers.” (Source: Offshore Energy Today) 

NAMING CEREMONY FOR ULSTEIN DESIGN PSV 

The first platform supply vessel (PSV) of the 

PX106 design from ULSTEIN® ever built, 

was named in a formal ceremony in Rio de 

Janeiro, Brazil on 24 November. The vessel, 

CBO Atlântico, is the first in a series of six 

PSVs with X-BOW® hull line design from 

ULSTEIN, to be constructed at Estaleiro 

Alianca shipyard for Brazilian shipowner 

CBO (Companhia Brasileira de Offshore). 

CBO, which already has two PSVs of P106 

design from ULSTEIN in its fleet, is the first 

shipowner who has ordered X-BOW vessels 

in Brazil. “CBO’s requirements for standard 

of documentation has put ULSTEIN’s engineering team to the test in this project, but we have 

worked extremely well with both Estaleiro Alianca and CBO, and the end result is very 

satisfactory.” says Project Manager Brazil in ULSTEIN, Mr. Ingar Kaldhol, and adds that the good 

cooperation has brought ULSTEIN new knowledge and increased competence that will be put to 

good use in future projects. CBO ordered two PX106 and two PX105 designs from ULSTEIN at the 

end of 2009, and an additional two PX105 designs in April 2011. The contracts include delivery of 

design, engineering, main equipment and building follow-up. The second PX106 is to be delivered 

at the beginning of 2012 and four PSVs of PX105 design will be delivered during 2012 – 2013. CBO 

Atlântico will enter into an 8-year contract with Brazilian state oil company Petrobras in 

December. (Source: Ulstein) 

Advertisement 

SEISMIC ACQUISITION COMMENCED OFFSHORE MALTA 

Mediterranean O&G announced that the Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary Malta Oil 

Pty Ltd, has now entered into a contract with Fugro-Geoteam Pty Ltd ("Fugro-Geoteam"), who will 

undertake the acquisition of 1,000 square kilometers of long offset 3D seismic exploration data on 

behalf of the Company, in relation to its license commitment at Area 4 Offshore Malta. Fugro- 

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Geoteam's vessel, R/V Geo Barents, 

has commenced mobilization and the 

Company expects 3D seismic 

acquisition to commence on or about 

Wednesday, November 16, 2011. 

The estimated duration of the survey 

is about 30 days. Processing of 3D 

data will start immediately after the 

completion of the survey, with the 

objective of obtaining the results 

towards the end of 1Q 2012. Sergio 

Morandi, Chief Executive Officer of 

Mediterranean Oil and Gas, 

commented, "We are extremely 

pleased to have entered the 3D seismic acquisition contract with Fugro- Geoteam, a world class 

operator. This new 3D seismic data should allow the company to complete the assessment of the 

exploration potential of Area 4 Offshore Malta. We are hopeful that the seismic survey will identify 

further prospects in the area and make the drilling of an exploration more attractive." (Source & 

Photo: Cpt. Lawrence Dalli - www.maltashipphotos.com) 

ISLAND CRUSADER IN TOW 

On the 1 st December, on a foggy 

morning, the 1971 built Panama 

flag with call sign HO4409 tug 

Pantodynamos (Imo 7038642) 

departed from Braila; Romania 

with in tow the new building 

hull type UT776 CDG Island 

Crusader. The picture is taken 

when passing Galati on the 

Danube River underway to 

Sulina at the Black Sea. (Photo: 

Huib Lievense) 

EMAS MARINE SECURES CHARTERS FOR FOUR AHTS VESSELS 

15/24 

Ezra Holdings Limited, a global offshore 

contractor and provider of integrated 

offshore solutions to the oil and gas 

industry, announced its offshore support 

services division (EMAS Marine) has been 

awarded a new charter and charter renewals 

for four Offshore Support Vessels (OSV). 

These awards worth approximately US$231 

million in total were from national oil 

companies and an oil major. The charters 

are for an average period of 4.25 years


(including option periods) for four Anchor, Handling, Tug and Supply (AHTS) vessels that will be 

deployed in South America and various regions in the Asia Pacific. Captain Adarash Kumar, CEO, 

EMAS Marine, stated, “As an offshore operator committed to support the world’s deepwater 

developments, these contracts are significant as it reaffirms our ability to deliver highly responsive 

and reliable services to our oilfield clients globally.” Mr Lionel Lee, EMAS’s Managing Director, 

said, “This is an important milestone for us as we further solidify our capabilities in Asia-Pacific and 

break new ground in South America, reaffirming our growing presence as a global leader in marine 

and offshore support.” “Brazil in particular will be investing heavily in offshore oil and gas 

infrastructure and services over the next few years in order to achieve its goal of being one of the 

world’s top oil producers. This creates significant opportunities for us for both offshore support and 

construction services.” Mr Lee added. The Group recently announced in October 2011 that its 

subsea orderbook reached US$745 million and that the Group’s orderbook exceeded US$1.2 billion 

for the first time. (Source: EMAS Marine) 

DELIVERY OF 2 UNITS ANCHOR HANDLING TUG SUPPLY VESSELS IN 

GSHI 

October 12, 2011, Tidewater 

Marine, L.L.C., the world leader in 

offshore support services, took 

successfully delivery of Boutros 

Tide, the second in a series of four 

newbuild AHTS vessels from 

Guangxin Shipbuilding & Heavy 

Industry Co., Ltd. in South China. 

Five days later, October 17th, 

Chayaride Tide, the third AHTS 

was delivered in GSHI. The vessels 

are flagged of Vanuatu. The last 

vessel in the series, Mossalem Tide, 

is expected to be delivered in December, 2011. Guangxin Shipbuilding & Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. 

(GSHI) has signed contract with Tidewater for construction of 4 vessels at the time when this new 

shipyard set up. It is a Chinese-foreign joint venture specializing in the research and manufacture of 

marine engineering equipments and special-purpose vessels. GSHI focuses on the development of 

high added-value deep-sea 

service vessels, offshore drilling 

platforms and supporting vessels, 

special marine engineering 

vessels and offshore complexes. 

The vessel series is specifically 

designed to meet demands for 

efficient and safe management in 

growing offshore oil and gas field 

development in Middle East. The 

series vessel is a KCM design 

58.7M series DP-2 vessel with 

AH+ Towing notation in the 

world, which is equipped with 

16/24


3x10 tons side thrusters. She has a suite of multifunction of firefighting, anchoring, towing, 

supplying. The 58.7M AHT has an overall length of 58.7 metres on a beam 14.6 metres and a 

draught of 4.75 metres. She is powered by two unit caterpillar 3516B Main Engine, rated at 

2575bhp@1600rpm, driving two four-bladed controllable pitch propeller. She has a trial speed of 

13.50 knots and designed Bollard Pull 65 tons. (Source & Photo: GSHI) 

WINDFARM NEWS 

Advertisement 

ESTONIAN SHIPYARD TO BUILD FOUR WIND FARM SERVICE 

CATAMARANS 

Estonian shipyard BLRT Marketex is to build four wind farm service catamarans for Sure Wind 

Marine of Hexham, Northumberland, U.K. Designed by Incat Crowther, the catamarans will be 

available for projects throughout Europe and built to DNV class and dual U.K. MCA and German 

Stability rules to ensure full flexibility. "This is first major contract for BLRT Marketex in wind farm 

service industry, which marks a new stage in development of our company," said Vladislav Markin, 

head of BLRT Marketex shipbuilding division. "Our extensive experience in small vessel building 

gives us the strong confidence in success of this project. We strongly believe in potential of this 

growing industry and are proud to build boats in close cooperation with experienced operators and 

designers to achieve best performance. Dominic Abraham, managing director of Sure Wind Marine 

said: "We are very pleased to be building vessels at such a well-equipped yard with an experienced 

team. The team has developed a flexible vessel capable of working throughout Europe in a range of 

conditions and roles. The vessels are designed with proven technologies emphasizing reliability, 

17/24


efficiency and operational range and rely heavily on Incat Crowther's experience from earlier 

designs. The increased size over previous Incat Crowther designs allows for extra passenger comfort 

and space as well as 14 tonnes of cargo capacity." The vessels have been designed by Incat Crowther 

in accordance with Det Norske Veritas/+1A1-HSLC-R2 Wind Farm service 1 rules, UK MCA SCV, 

Category 2 and are compliant with German Flag State requirements. The vessels will be equipped 

with twin MTU 8V2000 M72 engines (720 kW each), which will allow them to reach a maximum 

speed of 31 knots and a service speed of 26,5 knots at 85 percent MCR. The first boat will be 

delivered early May 2012 with each subsequent vessel delivering at 1.5 month intervals. The BLRT 

Marketex shipyardoffers advanced solutions for small vessels building as well as for large sized 

projects in steel, stainless steel and aluminum. The company has more than 10 years of experience in 

manufacturing of feeding barges for fish industry, service catamarans, complex components for the 

offshore oil and gas production sector and offshore wind industry. BLRT Marketex is a subsidiary of 

Estonia's BLRT Grupp. (Source: MarineLog) 

NORWIND, ULSTEIN TO DEVELOP NEW INSTALLATION VESSEL FOR 

OFFSHORE WIND INDUSTRY 

Norwegian based NorWind Installer 

contracted the ULSTEIN Dutch design 

offices Ulstein Sea of Solutions and 

Ulstein IDEA Equipment Solutions as 

their design partners for a new 

foundation installation vessel for the 

offshore wind industry. The vessel is a 

customized version of the Deepwater 

Enabler design from ULSTEIN. The DP 

vessel is designed for world-wide 

operations with a focus on pre-piling 

and jacket/tripod/transition piece 

installation for the offshore wind 

industry in North Europe. Different 

deck layouts, based upon NorWind Installer’s installation experience from Alpha Ventus, have been 

developed for the various installation modes on top of the generic vessel platform provided by 

ULSTEIN. The approach for this design has been unique in the sense that NorWind Installer and 

ULSTEIN started this project by going through the ULSTEIN Accelerated Business Development 

process. Technical and operational options from both NorWind Installer and ULSTEIN were 

discussed in a transparent process resulting in the most viable option, which met NorWind 

Installer’s business model and requirements. ”We are pleased with the concept as it is definitely in 

line with our vision of combining state-of-the-art technical solutions with the speed and seakeeping 

capacity of DP vessels. It gives us the opportunity to provide our installation services all-year around 

in up to 2.5m Hs, as well as meeting our client’s cost targets”, states Thorbjørn Hansen, VP Product 

Development at NorWind Installer. The vessel is designed aiming for maximum efficiency and cost 

effectiveness and features an 800t heave compensated offshore crane on starboard side, while a prepiling 

template can be located on a support structure at the stern. The vessel can carry four jackets, 

alternatively at least 24 piles or up to 12 transition pieces on the large open aft deck. To enhance 

vessel operability, the anti-heeling system has been designed in such a way that the main crane can 

revolve over 180o with a full load in its main hook within 5 minutes, which is very favourable 

having a large jacket in the crane hook. When operating in the pre-piling mode, the pre-piling 

18/24


template is positioned on the seabed by the main crane, in parallell a pile is picked up by a gantry 

crane, put in the upending frame on starboard side and upended. The main crane has been modified 

by ULSTEIN in such a way that it can first pick-up the piling hammer with its main hook and then 

connect to the upended pile with its auxiliary hook. When the hammer is working on driving the 

pile into the seabed, the next pile is upended by the upending frame and made ready for crane lift 

out. The large aft deck and AHC crane provide flexibility for serving alternative subsea and offshore 

markets in the future, which is further increased by the two large holds suitable for carroussels 

located below main deck. A deck layout version of the vessel has also been developed for tidal 

turbine installations. Voith Schneider propellers of 3,900 kW each will allow for a cruising speed of 

13 knots and enhance the DP capabilities of the vessel. To minimize the environmental footprint an 

NOx reduction system is installed in the exhaust lines. “After working closely with NorWind 

Installer in the ABD process, ULSTEIN started developing the integrated concept for mission 

equipment and vessel. This project shows the combined strength we can offer to support our clients 

in realizing their visions”, says Edwin van Leeuwen, project manager at ULSTEIN. (Source: Ulstein) 

SEAZIP OFFSHORE SERVICE SIGNS CONTRACT TODAY FOR 2 DAMEN 

TWIN AXES FOR OFFSHORE WIND FARM MAINTENANCE 

Damen Shipyards and SeaZip 

Offshore Service will sign a contract 

at the EWEA conference (14:30 hrs, 

stand 11020, Amsterdam, The 

Netherlands,). SeaZip has ordered two 

Fast Crew Suppliers of the 2610-type. 

The first ever FCS 2610 was delivered 

early 2011 and offers reduced peak 

accelerations of up to 75%, reduced 

added resistance in waves of up to 

60% and has already transferred 

maintenance crew to turbines in wave 

heights of 1.9 m. Jan Reier Arends, 

one of Seazip’s Managing Directors, will sign the contract with Roel van Eijle, Sales Manager 

Benelux, on the first day of the 2011 Offshore conference of the European Wind Energy 

Association. The vessels will be built at Damen Shipyards Singapore and delivery is set for the third 

quarter of 2012. Safe access to offshore sites: Offshore wind is rapidly becoming a highly a 

specialized field in offshore operations. As the need for specialized services grows, there’s a need for 

fit-for-purpose service vessels. That’s why Mr Arends and Mr Sander Schakelaar, managing owners 

of the established (container) transport company JR Shipping, founded SeaZip Offshore Service in 

2010. SeaZip will draw on the 18 years of experience and services of JR Shipping, including vessel 

development and management. The two entrepreneurs have a clear goal: to provide service vessels 

for fast and safe access to offshore sites. In their effort to deliver “outstanding and safe performance 

in even the most challenging of circumstances” (SeaZip’s mission statement), they teamed-up with 

Damen Shipyards. The FCS 2610, already in use at offshore wind farms, matched Seazip´s 

requirements as to safety, transport capacity, comfort, and performance levels in harsh weather 

conditions. Another argument is that offshore wind farms are being built at ever-increasing 

distances from the shore, impairing continuity in operations and maintenance. The FCS 2610 can 

overcome these challenges as it has a range over 1000 nm, a 20,000 litre fuel tank (for sailing and 

transferring purposes) and there’s accommodation for 4 crew and 12 industrial personnel. According 

19/24


to Mr Arends the Twin Axe catamaran is “an excellent design, especially for staying out at sea for 

longer periods, while not compromising crew comfort.” (Source: Damen) 

ALNMARITEC WINS CONTRACT FOR TWO WAVE MASTER CLASS WFSV 

Alnmaritec, the specialist aluminium boat 

builder based in the North East of the UK, 

announced today at the EWEA Offshore 

2011 exhibition that it has been awarded a 

contract for two of it’s new Wave Master 

class of wind farm support vessels. The 

new order was placed by North Sea 

Logistics one of the UK’s leading and most 

experienced offshore service providers who 

currently operate fifteen vessels in the 

market and have already completed over 

one million turbine transfers. The vessels 

are the fifth and sixth in line of this highly 

successful class from Alnmaritec two of which are already in service and have generally been 

accepted to be amongst the top performing boats in the market. The company in fact built the very 

first wind farm service vessel in the UK for the same operator and it has been at the forefront of the 

development of this type of vessel for the last decade delivering over twenty such craft to the 

industry. This particular order also establishes a further landmark for Alnmaritec being the 150th 

vessel built by the yard. The new boats will be 19m x 7m and fitted with fixed pitch propellers 

giving a top speed of 27.5 knots. Commenting on the new order from the show Alnmaritec 

Managing Director Chris Millman said “We are delighted to have secured this order from North Sea 

Logistics. This demonstrates the commitment the owner Dave Armstrong has to developing their 

fleet in order to maintain their position as an industry leader. We are sure that the new boats will 

further enhance their capabilities and we appreciate their continued support and their confidence in 

our boats”. (Source: Alnmaritec) 

FASTNET SHIPPING IS DELIGHTED TO ANNOUNCE TWO NEW BUILD WIND 

FARM VESSELS 

Fastnet Shipping is delighted to announce our two new build Wind farm Service Vessels the Fastnet 

Skua and Fastnet Puffin, due for launch in March and April 2012 respectively. When launched the 

Fastnet Skua and Fastnet Puffin will join our two existing WSV’s the Fastnet Swift and Fastnet Tern 

and will in turn bring our total fleet of Tugs , Wind-cats , Jack Ups , Barges and other floating plant 

to over 21 different Vessels. (Source: Fastnet) 

YARD NEWS 

DAMEN SHIPYARDS HARDINXVELD SIGNES CONTRACT WITH ISKES AND 

OSD FOR TWO GREEN TUGS 

In November 2011 Iskes Towage & Salvage took its first Damen tug into operation: the ASD 2810 

‘Argus’. Pleased with its capabilities, Iskes decided to have Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld build a 

20/24


further two harbour tugs: the 

revolutionary ASD 3212 ‘Green 

Tug’, designed by Iskes and 

Offshore Ship Designers to reduce 

CO2, SOx and NOx emissions by 

30%. The first contract was signed 

at Europort 2011 (Rotterdam) by 

managing directors Jos van 

Woerkum (DSHa), Jim Iskes and 

Michiel Wijsmuller (OSD). The 

tugs will be delivered by mid- 

2013. Since 2009, Iskes strives to 

reduce CO2, SOx and NOx 

particles, the ultimate goal being 

zero emissions. Triggered by the commitment of the ports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam to the 

World Ports Climate Initiative, Iskes teamed up with Offshore Ship Designers to develop a tug with 

30% emission reduction. Other stakeholders included research centre MARIN and tug operator 

SMIT. Currently, the Green Tug Project is in the final, detailed design stage. This is carried out in 

close cooperation with Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld and Damen Research, especially when it 

comes to propulsion and bollard pull. Environmental economy: DSHa’s Jos van Woerkum says: “The 

Green Tug has several similarities with our Damen E3 project, that aims for environmentally 

friendly, economically viable and efficiently operating ships. Secondly, this is the first time Damen 

is building a vessel that it has not designed in-house. DSHa is known for its Multi Cats, Shoalbusters 

and Patrol Vessels. However, the Damen ASD 3212 design neatly fits within the OSD-Iskes format 

of the Azistern 3270. In addition, we work in an ‘open calculation’ format. Cost control is important 

if this design is to be a commercial success. However, with this project there’s no fixed price! The 

Green Tug’s development is more important.” Characteristics The Green Tug’s azimuth thrusters, 

bow thrusters and winches use diesel-electric propulsion. In order to reduce emissions while 

mobilising to a job the tug will sail on battery power. The energy management system ensures that 

the master of the tug always gets the power he needs regardless if the power comes from batteries or 

from one or more diesel generators. When sailing at cruising speed only one generator is used, this 

cuts down on fuel consumption and maintenance. The vessel will have 70 t bollard pull and is 

equipped with a double drum, creating an independently controlled forward winch system. The 

idea is to pay out two tow-wires at the same time and control each wire independently. This is very 

practical when manoeuvring in narrow spaces. ‘Jos and Jim’ “Although Jim and I never did business 

before, we’ve known each other quite well for a long time and understand each other’s’ needs”, says 

Jos van Woerkum. “A man, and a client, like Jim Iskes goes well with our type of organisation. He’s 

very straightforward, knows what he wants and is not afraid of participating in new developments. 

He’s an experienced captain and as a ship-owner he’s bursting with ideas. In short, a real 

entrepreneur. Our own experience is added to his. With every new vessel we try to improve our 

standards. We sail along when the vessels is doing its job and evaluate if it does what we designed it 

to do. We always try to put our knowledge of clients and ships into our design and production 

standards. Standardization is of course one of Damen’s basic strengths. So, why did we decide to 

build the Green Tug, this non-standard project? Because it’s a real innovation, a chance to co-create 

a future standard and, of course, because it’s work for our shipyard. My message is: Damen can build 

more than standard vessels and at the same time deliver added value because of our standards. We’re 

proud to participate in Iskes’ project.” (Press Release Damen Shipyards Group) 

21/24


Advertisement 

STX MARINE SECURES OSVS DESIGN CONTRACT 

STX Marine (STXM) congratulated Eastern 

Shipbuilding Group on the award by 

Hornbeck Offshore Services Inc. for the 

design and construction of eight STXM 

designed offshore support vessels. The 

SV300 and SV310 series vessels are derived 

from well proven designs recently 

delivered to the US Gulf Coast and they 

will have a deadweight of approximately 

5500 LT and 6070 LT respectively. The 

vessels shall be designed to meet the 

requirements of the DP2, FiFi 1 and 

ENVIRO notations from ABS as well as be 

in accordance with the latest applicable Marpol and IMO regulations. This contract signifies another 

example of the successful relationship between STX Marine and Eastern Shipbuilding Group in 

bringing state of the art offshore support vessels to the US offshore market sad STX Marine. (Source: 

STX Marine) 

SHIPPING COMPANY GROEN ORDERS TWO SEISMIC RESEARCH 

SUPPORT VESSELS WITH MAASKANT SHIPYARDS 

Dutch Shipping Company 

Groen has ordered two 

Seismic Research & Support 

Vessels (SRSV’s) with 

Maaskant Shipyards 

Stellendam (Netherlands), 

part of the Damen Shipyards 

Group. Maaskant has broad 

experience in maintenance 

and repair of Offshore 

Support Vessels. However, an order for SRSV-newbuilds is a first. Director Frits van Dongen says: 

“The Groen orders are a result of our approach towards offshore vessel design and construction and 

we are very proud indeed.” The vessels have been designed in cooperation with Saltwater 

Engineering (Netherlands) to meet the needs and experiences of Shipping Company Groen. The 

22/24


vessels’ all-weather chase and support tasks will focus on seismic activity research. Characteristics: 

Both SRSV’s will be 40 m long with a 9.30 m beam. Two Caterpillar propulsion units of in total 

1940kw (2640pk) will give the vessels a design speed of 14 knots. They can be deployed worldwide 

and have accommodation for 14 people. Experience: Maaskant Shipyards serves dozens of ships, 

often owned and operated by long-time clients. The shipyard handles maintenance and repair of 

Offshore Support Vessels, Fishing Vessels, Guard Vessels and Standby Vessels. Recently, a 44 m 

beam-trawler fishing vessel, built by Maaskant in 1994, was converted to an OSV. The new seismic 

research support vessels will be delivered in the first quarter of 2013. (Source: Damen) 

GRANDWELD SHIPYARDS SIGNS NEW CONTRACT 

Grandweld Shipyards announced a contract award to design, build and deliver two 21.3M 

service/crew boats for Kuwait Oil Tanker Company. Contract signing was held today November 29, 

2011 at Grandweld Shipyards facilities in Al Jadaf, Dubai, and the contract was signed between Mr. 

Jamal Abki, Grandweld General Manager, and Mr. Faisal Ali, KOTC Deputy Managing Director. 

The 21.3M vessels will be powered via twin waterjet installation to ensure high speed and 

maneuvering capabilities which will be utilized by KOTC Marine Agency Branch to safely transport 

passengers and cargo to and from tankers calling Kuwaiti Oil Terminals. Delivery of the two vessels 

is scheduled in the last quarter of 2012. (Source: MarineLink) 

BORCOS SHIPPING ORDERS TWO CREW BOATS FROM STRATEGIC 

MARINE 

Australian ship builder Strategic 

Marine has confirmed its position 

as a major supplier of vessels to the 

Malaysian offshore oil and gas 

sector, securing a contract to build 

two 40 metre crew boats for 

Syarikat Borcos Shipping Sdn Bhd. 

On delivery of the vessels mid next year, Borcos Shipping will boast 11 Strategic Marine crew boats 

in its fleet, the first one launched in 2005. Strategic Marine Marketing Manager Terry O’Connor 

said this contract further established the ship builder as a world-leading manufacturer of crew boats, 

especially in the Asia Pacific region. “Our ability to construct hulls in Vietnam and complete them 

at our Singapore shipyard has provided the market with an extremely competitive option in 

purchasing new crew boats, during such a challenging period in the market,” Mr O’Connor said. 

“Strategic Marine has now delivered 35 vessels into the South East Asia region over the past five 

years, the majority of which are servicing the local offshore oil and gas sector.” Mr O’Connor said 

that Strategic Marine’s reputation in the crew boat market has allowed the company to fast-track its 

shipbuilding diversification plans and establish regional operations in WA’s North West and 

Queensland. “In the past few weeks we have finalised plans to expand our fast-response repair and 

servicing operation in Karratha and secured a contract for fabrication and design work for John 

Holland’s mining construction works in Gladstone, Australia. “Our ship building operations now 

include a vast range of vessel designs, including platform supply vessels, anchor handling vessels, 

dive / ROV support vessels, tug boats, wind farm maintenance vessels and passenger vessels,” he 

said. The Borcos Shipping crew boats can transfer up to 58 oil rig personnel and carry 44 tonnes of 

cargo. “These vessels have been tried and tested in the Malaysian market and their continued 

success is testament to their superior operability, unrivalled passenger comfort and – very 

23/24


importantly – their economical hull form,” Mr O’Connor said. Borcos Shipping is an established 

Malaysian shipping company formed in early 1980. Its registered office is in Miri, Sarawak with 

branch offices in Labuan, Kota Kinabalu and Terengganu. (Source: Strategic Marine) 

WEBSITE NEWS 

HTTP://WWW.TOWINGLINE.COM 

ARE YOU ALSO INTERES T ED IN THIS FREE TUGS TOW ING & OFFSHO RE NEWSLETTER. 

PLEASE VIS IT THE WEBS ITE WW W.TO W I N G L I N E . C O M AND S UBSCRIBE YOURSE LF FOR FREE 

Last week there have been new updates posted: 

1. Several updates on the News page posted last week: 

Fairmount Alpine assists drifting vessel off Cuba 

Tug Singapore underway with Smit Borneo to Rena 

Taikoo – Latest delivery of popular RAmparts 3000 for HUD 

SeaZip Offshore Service signs contract today for 2 Damen Twin Axes 

Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld signes contract with Iskes and OSD for two Green 

Tugs 

OSD to design low emission tug for Iskes 

CBMM restores 1931 Potomac River Dory Boat 

CBMM breaks ground on restoration of Navy Point bulkhead in St. Michaels 

Sleepvaartmuseum ontvangt uniek schilderij 

Stranded tugboat pulled out from Miramar beach 

mailto:Please note that my e-mail address has changed into jvds@towingline.com 

This site is intended to be collective exchange of information. Information on this site has been pulled from many sources; we have 

attempted to credit these sources. But due to the multitude of sources sometimes we are unable to note all the sources. If you feel that 

material that is posted here is of your authorship and you have not been credited properly please alert us and I will correct the credit or 

remove it in accordance to the author's wishes. 

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The compiler of the Tugs Towing & Offshore Newsletter disclaim all liability for any loss, damage or expense however caused, arising 

from the sending, receipt, or use of this e-mail communication and on any reliance placed upon the information provided through this 

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24/24

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