Two Robert Allan-designed tugs arrived in the Port of Acajutla, El Salvador on 21 April to bolster SAAM Towage’s fleet in the region
SAAM Acaxual and SAAM Centzuna will be deployed to assist gas carriers into the Energía del Pacífico LNG terminal on the Pacific coast. They were built by Uzmar in Turkey to a Rastar 3200W design with more than 80 tonnes of bollard pull.
Redwise Maritime transported these new tugs from Turkey to El Salvador, across the Atlantic Ocean and through the Panama Canal, during 40-day voyages.
“The arrival of these tugs marks the first milestone in initiating our operations in El Salvador,” says SAAM Towage managing director Hernán Gómez.
With free sailing speeds of 13.5 knots, the 32-m tugs can work under dynamic traction loads of more than 135 tonnes at 10 knots. Each vessel has two CAT 3516C engines generating 2,350 kW of power and two Kongsberg US255 fixed-pitch azimuth thrusters.
Both vessels are equipped with safety features including a remotely operated gas detection and automatic isolation system, deck equipment and machinery with explosive atmosphere certification and Fire-Fighting 1 class systems for fighting off-ship fires, certified under Bureau Veritas classification rules.
Further north on the Pacific coastline, Seaspan has expanded its Canadian tugboat fleet with delivery of 2016-built vessel Seaspan Harrier, after purchasing it from a Turkish owner and builder.
Sanmar had built this tug as Bogacay XI in its Altinova shipyard in 2016 for its own fleet. Seaspan bought this tug and a sister vessel, 2015-built Bogacay Vlll, which was renamed Seaspan Raptor and arrived in Q1 2021. Seaspan Harrier arrived in Vancouver, Canada on 15 April after a 12,500 nautical mile journey from Turkey.
Both 312-gt tugs have an overall length of 24.4 m, moulded beam of 11.25 m and hull depth of 5.7 m. Two MTU diesel engines each develop 2,240 kW of power, driving two Kongsberg Z-drives. These RAmparts 2400 SX-design tugs have a bollard pull of 75 tonnes and top speed of 13 knots.
Seaspan has previously purchased tugs with 70 tonnes of bollard pull: Seaspan Kestral and Seaspan Osprey (2012), Seaspan Eagle (2011) and Seaspan Raven (2010) from Sanmar.
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