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SAAM Towage welcomes two new tugs to Latin American fleet
One of the largest tugboat owners in the Americas has added two more harbour tugs to its fleet to assist ships in Chile and Mexico
SAAM Towage has taken delivery of two newbuild harbour tugs from a Turkish shipbuilder to expand its fleet operating in two countries in Latin America.
The largest tug and towage operator in the Americas welcomed SAAM Carancho and SAAM Kanan after their construction, commissioning and sea trials in Turkey.
They were built at Sanmar Shipyards’ Altınova facilities with propulsion systems that are compliant with IMO Tier III emissions requirements.
SAAM Carancho is a Bigacay-class escort tug based on the exclusive RAstar 2900SX design, developed for Sanmar by Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd, and will be mobilised to Chile.
Powered by twin Cat 3516E main engines, each producing 2,350 kW, this 29-m tug can deliver 80 tonnes of bollard pull and achieve a free-running speed of 12 knots, and it is equipped with a FiFi1 firefighting capability.
SAAM Kanan is a Bogacay-class tugboat based on Robert Allan’s RAmparts 2400SX-MKII design and has a FiFi1 firefighting system and twin Cat 3516E main engines delivering 2,350 kW each.
It will be integrated into SAAM’s port operations in Mexico once it is sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Turkey.
“These two tugboats will be assigned to very specific operations in Chile and Mexico where their capabilities, design and SAAM adjustments convert them in tailored solutions for our operations and clients’ requirements.” said SAAM Towage director of newbuilds and innovation, Pablo Caceres.
Their construction and delivery is part of a long-term relationship between SAAM Towage and Sanmar, which has built 15 tugs for the Chile-headquartered owner.
“These tugboats deliver the ideal combination of high-performance capabilities and strict environmental compliance tailored directly to their regional operational needs.” said Sanmar commercial director Ruchan Civgin.
SAAM Towage has continued to strengthen its position in Latin America through newbuild additions and corporate investments in 2026.
In May, SAAM completed its US$30.5M investment in acquiring the final 30% stake of Intertug that it did not already own, to gain full control of its operations in Colombia and Mexico, after acquiring 70% in 2021.
Also in May, SAAM signed the contract for new harbour and escort tugboats from Sanmar and Chilean shipbuilder ASENAV and in June it ordered tugs from Brazil’s Belov Group.
Riviera will host TUGTECHNOLOGY ‘27 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 19-20 May 2027. Use this link for more information and to register.
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