Sanmar has built and delivered another two tugs to the Turkish Directorate General of Coastal Safety “DGCS” to further enhance safety and emergency response in the seas around Turkiye.

Sister tugs, known as BOĞAÇAY LXIX and BOĞAÇAY LXX while under construction at Sanmar’s eco-friendly Altinova Shipyard, are based on the exclusive-to-Sanmar RAmparts 2400SX-MKII design from acclaimed Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd.

Together they will make a major contribution to ensuring the safety of maritime operations, including emergency response and assistance towage, around Türkiye by providing towing and fire-fighting services.

Measuring 24.4m Loa with a 12m beam, least moulded depth of 4.5m and navigational draft of 5.45m, the tugs are the latest and most environmentally-friendly versions of Sanmar’s best-selling Boğaçay range.

They are powered by two CAT 3516E main engines each producing 2,200 Kw at 1,600 rev/min to achieve an impressive bollard pull ahead of at least 77 tonnes.

Specifically designed for optimal efficiency in ship-handling duties for sea-going ships, the tugs’ wide beam enables greater performance and stability, even in harsh weather or challenging rescue operations.

The design also emphasises low-manning operation, with advanced machinery automation utilizing latest technologies to improve efficiency and minimise environmental impact during operation.

Sanmar is proud to have had a long and successful commercial relationship with Türkiye’s coastal safety authority, and at the end of 2023 delivered two powerful new heavy-duty tugs KURTARMA 17 and KURTARMA 18 to the Directorate General of Coastal Safety.

On December 31st, the ceremony, which took place at Sanmar’s Altınova Shipyard, was attended by Türkiye’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Mr. Abdulkadir Uraloğlu; Deputy Ministers Mr. Durmus Unuvar and Mr. Osman Boyraz; the Chairman of the Chamber of Shipping, Mr. Tamer Kıran; the Governor of Yalova, Mrs. Hülya Kaya; members of Türkiye’s AK Parti, Mr. Ahmet Büyükgümüş and Mrs. Meliha Akyol; the Chairman and Director General of Directorate General of Coastal Safety, Mr. Mustafa Bankaoğlu; and the Director-General of Maritime Affairs, Mr. Ünal Baylan. The honoured guests were welcomed to the shipyard by Mr. Ali Gürün, the Chairman of the Board of Sanmar Shipyards and Mr. Cem Seven, the Vice Chairman of Sanmar Shipyards and the Chairman of the Ship, Yacht & Marine Services Exporters Association.

Speaking at the event held at Sanmar’s purpose-build and environmentally-friendly Altinova Shipyard in the heart of the Turkish maritime sector, Minister Uraloğlu said: “Today, we are talking about a Türkiye that is among the leading countries in maritime trade. When we look at maritime trade, our Turkish-owned merchant fleet of 1,000 GT and above ranks 11th in the world. Our 2025 target is to carry this success even further and make Türkiye one of the top 10 countries in the world rankings. Again, the amount of cargo handled at our ports reached 521 million tons in 2023, an increase of approximately 2.5 times in the last 22 years. Container transportation, on the other hand, quadrupled in the same period, reaching 12.6 million TEU.”

Chairman Ali Gürün said: “Once again, we are proud to be able to provide our nation’s Directorate Generate of Coastal Safety with the powerful tools it needs to carry out its vital work. I sincerely hope for the continuation of this collaboration, which stands as one of the finest examples of strong private and public sector cooperation, and I am deeply grateful to all the Sanmar and DGCS personnel who worked with great dedication throughout the process.”

Following the speeches, Mr. Uraloğlu was presented with a plaque by Mr. Cem Seven, Chairman of the Ship, Yacht & Marine Services Exporters Association and Vice Chairman of the Sanmar Shipyards, and a ribbon cutting ceremony was held. The Minister and other distinguished guests then toured KURTARMA 19 and participated in a photo shoot.