Thomas Services Maritimes (TSM) has expanded its port services fleet again with the addition of a new harbour tug, just months after adding a new offshore service vessel
Damen Shipyards Group delivered a new azimuth stern drive (ASD) tug to the French operator from its Albwardy Damen shipyard in the United Arab Emirates within six months of receiving the newbuilding order, despite delays in production and vessel transit due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
Damen built TSM Houat to its ASD 2810 tug design with an overall length of 28.6 m and 60 tonnes of bollard pull. TSM Houat was named after an island in the department of Morbihan, Brittany, but will operate from the port of Sète in the Hérault department on the Mediterranean.
Damen’s ASD 2810 tugs are built with 10.4 m beam, total power of 3,730 kW and top speed of 13.4 knots, with the latest hull and skeg designs for manoeuvrability and seakeeping. They also incorporate recent developments in fender, fairlead and winch designs.
Damen has built 175 tugs to this design since its introduction in 2002.
TSM needed this tug for its harbour towage operations in Sète. But, it needed a short lead time and to complete technical acceptance remotely due to restrictions in place for Covid-19.
This is the second tug TSM has introduced to its fleet this year.
In Q2 2020, it added TSM Ouessant to its fleet in Rouen, Normandy. This was built by Neptune Marine to a EuroTug 3515 design with bollard pull of 44 tonnes.
TSM Ouessant features dynamic positioning to DP2 class, two Heila deck cranes and a 100-tonne anchor-handling winch for various marine, port and offshore operations. It is assigned to support offshore renewables projects in northern France.
TSM owns and operates 26 vessels and offers marine services to the offshore renewables industry, harbour and sea towage.
It is headquartered in Rouen with subsidiaries in French ports of Dieppe, Brest, Bordeaux and Sète.
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