Snekke enhances Mexican fleet with new ASD tug

Med Marine secured an order from Snekke at the end of 2019 and started preparing the proposed tug. It renamed Med Yarimca to RPM Manzanillo and mobilised it from Turkey to Mexico.

RPM Manzanillo has started operating in the Port of Manzanillo, increasing Snekke’s fleet to three tugs. This new tug is assisting larger general cargo ships, tankers and container ships in one of the busiest ports in Mexico responsible for handling Pacific Ocean cargo for the Mexico City area.

RPM Manzanillo was built by Med Marine at the Eregli Shipyard as a MED-A2575 series tug, along with five others. This series is based on a Robert Allan RAmparts 2500W.

The 25-m tug was built for shiphandling, coastal towing, escort, emergency response and general-purpose duties.

It has 70 tonnes of bollard pull and a speed of 13.5 knots from two Caterpillar 16-cylinder main diesel 3516 C engines that develop 2,100 kW of power at 1,600 rpm and drive two Schottel SRP460 drives with controllable pitch propellers.

Snekke’s new tug has two Caterpillar C4.4 generator sets, each rated at 99 ekW at 1,500 rpm and 50 Hz in the engineroom and a THR Marine towing winch on the fore deck. It has a FiFi1 fire-fighting system with one pump capable of driving 1,200 m³/hr of foam and water to two monitors.

Med Marine has built many units of its MED-A2575 series with 60, 70 and 75 tonnes bollard pull options.

Snekke was founded in January 2019 with the purpose of investing in maritime industries. Its operations in the Port of Manzanillo led to this new group purchasing tugs to support docking ships.