During 2006/7 the Italian operator Rimorchiatori Laziali SpA, part of Cafimar Group, bought a pair of 32m escort ASD tugs from the specialist Turkish tug builder Sanmar. Some  eight years later, the company acquired two more similar 80+ tonne bollard pull vessels from the same builder. Now the company has taken delivery of Laziale, the first of a yet another pair of powerful vessels headed across the Aegean Sea.

This latest delivery is of the slightly shorter Sanmar Terminal Class, the Robert Allan Ltd RAstar 2800 design measuring 28.2m x 12.6m. This is fitted with a pair of Caterpillar 3516C main engines, each developing 2525kW, driving Rolls-Royce type US 255CP Z-drives to give an extremely healthy forward bollard pull of 81.4 tonnes and a free-running speed of 14 knots.

The vessel has been constructed according to Italian Flag rules/regulations and to RINA classification with FiFi1 notation. It is fitted with a heavy duty Rolls-Royce aft towing winch with the capacity of 600m of 56mm diameter steel wire, in addition to the forward split drum escort winch from the same manufacturer. Two 100 tonne SWL towing hooks have also been installed fore and aft.  A rescue boat with Gurdesan davit crane has been provided in addition to the Palfinger deck crane. The fully air-conditioned accommodation provides quarters for eight persons in two single and three twin berth cabins, all equipped with en suite facilities.

With its sponsoned hull form offering greater stability in exposed positions where many oil and gas terminals are located, the Sanmar Terminal Class is one of this builder’s most popular and successful models with some 27 now having been built and in service all over the world with the principal operators.

Sanmar, which despite its leading position in the international tug industry is still a family run company, will be promoting its extensive portfolio of newbuild ASD and tractor tugs from its stand no.8 at the ITS Convention and Exhibition in Marseille, France, from  25^th-29^th June 2018.