Brazil’s most powerful tugboat has entered service in the state of Rio de Janeiro for ocean towage, escort and ship handling duties.
Wilson Sons Rebocadores has taken delivery of new escort tug WS Sirius from its affiliate shipyard to operate in Porto of Açu, in the north of the state.
WS Sirius was built by Wilson Sons Shipyards in partnership with Damen with 90 tonnes of bollard pull, which according to Wilson Sons Rebocadores makes it the most powerful tug in Brazil.
Wilson Sons Rebocadores operational director Marcio Castro said the power rating was required because WS Sirius is expected to conduct ocean towage over longer distances and in more adverse weather conditions.
WS Sirius has deck space for cargo and is equipped with a FiFi1 fire-fighting system.
“With the render recovery winch, we can maintain a safe and constant distance [from the towed ship] together with a constant pull on the tow line during these manoeuvres,” Mr Castro explained.
The escort tug has an overall length of 32 m and a beam of 12 m. It took 22 months to build between contract signing and delivery, said Wilson Sons Rebocadores.
“Adding WS Sirius brings our fleet to 76 tugs and consolidates our position as a leader in the Brazilian harbour towage market,” said Mr Castro.
Wilson Sons Shipyards is building four tugs for one of Wilson Sons Rebocadores’ main competitors, SAAM Smit Towage, which operates a fleet of 48 vessels in 15 ports and terminals along the Brazilian coast. Tug Technology & Business features SAAM Smit Towage and the Brazilian tug sector in the Q4 2018 issue, set to be published later this week.
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