SAAM Towage retrofits tug winch to extend operational life

Markey Machine worked on this deck winch on 1998-built Point Valiant in Vancouver Q3 2024 after taking delivery of the Class I winch controls package. 

This 24-m, 178-gt tugboat, with a 10-m beam, is powered by two Mitsubishi S16R-MPTA main engines, each with 1,520 kW of power, and has a bollard pull of 45 tonnes.

The upgrade was identified by Markey’s after-market service division Sentinel Survey during a survey in May 2023, and SAAM ordered the retrofit in December.

“We considered using the original OEM’s controls but wanted to see Markey’s technology in action for ourselves,” says SAAM Towage engineering and development director Pablo Caceres. “We have sharpened our focus on future supportability and reliability factors.”

Sentinel provides inspections servicing and maintenance for all makes and models of deck machinery including winches, capstans and cranes, minimising downtime, while helping owners plan overhauls and drydockings. 

Markey has delivered several deck machinery packages to tugs introduced in the past 12 months to British Columbia.

It supplied deck equipment to HaiSea Marine’s tugboat fleet, heading to Kitimat to support gas carriers at the new LNG Canada export terminal.

HaiSea Kermode and HaiSea Warrior each has an Agile escort winch with 335 kW, two anchor windlasses, a capstan for line handling and 75-kW emergency soft-line towing winch for critical operations – all from Markey.