Targe expands tug fleet with new arrival

Scotland-based Targe Towing has added to its fleet of harbour tugs by purchasing a Bogaçay-class tug from Turkish shipbuilder Sanmar. This was renamed Kittiwake on arrival in Aberdeen. It is supporting port and terminal operations in northeast Scotland.

Kittiwake has 60 tonnes of bollard pull. It is an azimuthing stern drive tug with external fire-fighting capabilities. Targe ordered this tug after it gained an extension to the marine services it provides at the Hound Point marine terminal on the Firth of Forth, Scotland. This terminal loads oil, produced from North Sea platforms, on to tankers for export worldwide.

Targe also provides dedicated towage services in the ports of Aberdeen, Dundee and Peterhead for other clients.

Sanmar has an established business supplying tugs for UK operations. So far this year, it has delivered five tugboats to three different UK clients. The ports benefiting from these latest deliveries are Aberdeen, Bristol, Hull, Middlesbrough and Southampton.

The most powerful of the tugs is Svitzer Adira, an 80-tonne bollard pull, 28 m vessel already operating in Southampton. Svitzer Avon and Svitzer Marton for Bristol and Middlesbrough respectively are of identical length and hull form, but with lower engine rating to offer 70 tonnes bollard pull.

Headquartered near Hull, SMS Towage added tug Superman to its fleet. It is a 24.4 m Bogaçay-class Sanmar compact Robert Allan design with 70 tonnes bollard pull.