Damen Shipyards Group has signed a contract with Rimorchiatori Mediterranei, a subsidiary of Rimorchiatori Riuniti of Genoa, Italy, for a Damen ASD Tug 2810. The vessel will be operated in Sicily by Rimorchiatori Augusta and is due for delivery in December this year sailing on her own keel from Damen Song Cam Shipyard in Vietnam.

The new vessel, to be named Capo Peloro after one of Sicily’s major capes near Messina, will be the second Damen ASD Tug 2810 to join the Rimorchiatori Mediterranei fleet. The first was the Capo Boeo, which arrived in Sicily in December 2016. Like her sister-ship, the Capo Peloro will be outfitted with FiFi1 equipment, upgraded towing hooks and all the necessary equipment required to meet Italian Flag standards. In addition, she will also have an oil recovery notation and a double independent drum winch for added capability.  With 60 tonnes of bollard pull and superb manoeuvrability, the ASD 2810 is one of Damen’s best-selling tugs with over 200 vessels delivered to date.

The Capo Peloro will add to the existing Damen vessels already in the Rimorchiatori Mediterranei fleet. As well as the ASD 2810 Capo Boeo, the company has also purchased from Damen in recent years three ASD Tugs 2913 and two ASD Tugs 2411.

The order was signed by Rimorchiatori Mediterranei managing director, Mr. Alberto Delle Piane, and by Damen’s sales manager Antonio Marte.

Mr. Alberto Delle Piane says: “We give credit to Damen for having succeeded in winning this tender in an extremely competitive market such as the current one”.

Antonio Marte added: “We are very glad to have received the order for Capo Peloro from Rimorchiatori Riuniti, one of the most important companies in the European harbour towage business. The ASD 2810, thanks to her excellent seakeeping behavior, is the perfect tug to operate in the exposed waters of the Sicilian Santa Panagia terminal and, like the other vessels in the Damen portfolio, is a top-quality tugboat which does not compromise on safety or reliability. This order is a confirmation of the outstanding relation between Damen and the Rimorchiatori Riuniti Group”.