Two more Damen ASD 2810 tugs are on their way to ARC Towage in Trinidad & Tobago - the last of a four-vessel order. The MV Manatee and MV Atlantic Legacy departed Damen Shipyards Galati (Romania) on November 13 and are now bunkering in Las Palmas. From then on they will increase speed for a timely arrival in the port of Chaguaramas, Trinidad where they are due to start work on January 1, the company said in its press release.
All four tugs, which have a 60-tonne bollard pull and maximum speed of 12.9 knots, will have been delivered in under 18 months and this was one of the reasons ARC Towage chose Damen Shipyards Group for the new vessels.
The four sister ships have been adapted to comply with the latest international LNG handling regulations. They will provide towage, escorting, berthing and unberthing services for LNG carriers under a long-term contract for a leading energy company.
The vessels are equipped with ‘rig savers’ on all engines: remote shut-off valves, remote-closing air intakes, gas detection systems and explosion-proof lighting.
Damen Shipyards is also responsible for commissioning and the hand-over of the vessels. The first two (MV Kairi and MV Guapo Warrior) are already working and they are being used for crew training and familiarization purposes.
Damen will provide after sales support from its Service Hub in Curaçao. “This office is just a phone call and a one-hour flight away from Trinidad. We can provide any assistance they need for the lifetime of the vessel,” Reinier van Herel, added.