Fairplay prepares tugboat fleet additions in northern Europe

In Hamburg, a third Fairplay tugboat newbuilding, Fairplay-98, and a vessel for a different owner, ASD tug Kergroise, were unloaded from UHL Finesse at the end of November. 

Kergroise was sailing under the flag of St Vincent & the Grenadines to the Netherlands according to automatic identification system data.

Fairplay-98, and another reverse stern drive (RSD) tug still being completed for Fairplay, were built to Damen’s RSD 2513 design at Damen Song Cam Shipyard in Vietnam, with an overall length of 25 m, a beam of 13 m and a bollard pull of 80 tonnes.

Fairplay-99 is being commissioned in Vietnam and is scheduled to join Fairplay’s fleet in Q1 2026.

While Fairplay-98 and Fairplay-87 are likely to remain in Hamburg, Fairplay-86 will be transferred to the port of Szczecin, Poland, in December.

Local reports suggested ASD tugboats in Germany, Fairplay-95 and Fairplay-96, will be relocated to Rotterdam, the Netherlands in December to support Fairplay’s growing presence in Europe’s largest port.

Also in Hamburg, the maritime training centre has upgraded its tugboat simulators to train masters by installing controls for Schottel rudderpropellers.

Maritime Training Centre (MTC) Hamburg said it installed Schottel controls on three bridge simulators in co-operation with Fairplay Towage and developed software that uses Fairplay-96 as a model for training exercises by masters.

MTC will continue its investment programme by installing ABB AX levers and upgrading three ship bridge simulators in December.