Turkey-based Sanmar Shipyards had a record-breaking year despite challenges in building and delivering tugs during the coronavirus pandemic, constructing the most tugboats it has ever achieved in one year in 2020
Sanmar built 30 tugs with 13 of these for overseas clients. Another 10 tugs were built for Turkish tugboat operators in reaction to new port towage concessions and fleet renewal requirements.
Sanmar also built seven tugs for its own fleet operating in ports within Turkey, successfully selling existing vessels to other owners.
Overseas operators from the UK, Canada, Italy, Germany, Latvia, Oman, Seychelles, the UAE and Panama took delivery of Sanmar-built tugs during 2020.
Owners starting operations with a new Sanmar-built tug included Hans Schramm, Rimorchiatori Riuniti, Rimorchiatori Napolitani, Orkney Islands Council, P&O Maritime, Svitzer, SAAM Towing, Seychelles Port Authority and Targe Towing.
In Turkey, four owners took delivery of Sanmar-built tugs, including Arpas and Marintug, to enhance their towage capabilities as ports expanded and welcomed larger ships.
Sanmar’s tug deliveries during 2020 included repeat orders from existing clients and contracts from new customers. These vessels were all designed by naval architects Robert Allan with bollard pulls ranging from 30 to 85 tonnes.
Sanmar builds technologically advanced tugs at its modern purpose-built shipyards at Tuzla and Altinova in Turkey.
All of the tugs delivered were 18-32 m based on RAscal 1800, RAmparts 2200SX, 2400SX, TRAktor 2500SX, RAstar 2800E, RApport 1900SX, RAstar 2900SX and RAstar 3200SX designs.
The total bollard pull of Sanmar’s delivered tugs was just under 1,700 tonnes.
“The year 2020 has been like none other in living memory,” said Sanmar vice president Ali Gurun. “The pandemic has impacted on all our lives. It has brought heartbreak and loss for many and dramatically changed the way we all live our lives,” he said. “At Sanmar, we have gone to great lengths to ensure that our work can continue, with the safety of our team a top priority.”
He highlighted the importance of repeat orders from existing customers. “It shows that they have had good experiences with our tugs and our after-sale services,” Mr Gurun said, adding he hopes deliveries to new clients are the beginning of long-term business relationships.
He is looking ahead to another strong year of productivity in 2021.
“We are looking forward to another successful year in 2021, when hopefully the Covid-19 crisis will ease and we can get back to at least near normal,” said Mr Gurun.
There are expectations of more advances in tug engineering and design.
“These are exciting times for our industry, with rapid technological advances being achieved in the design, performance and efficiency of tugs,” Mr Gurun said.
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