Sanmar Shipyards has delivered another vessel in its popular Delicay series of powerful compact tugboats – this time to its own fleet.

Like its sister tugs, Delicay Vlll is a versatile Z-drive tractor tug built to Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd’s exclusive to Sanmar TRAktor-Z 2500SX design, created in close partnership with the Turkish tug-builder and operator. Designed for maximum efficiency in both harbour ship handling and towing duties, the 25.3m x 12m x 6.1m Delicay Vlll offers dependable omnidirectional performance.

Built at Sanmar Shipyards Altinova, the tug is powered by 2x 2100kW main engines, giving it a speed ahead of around 12 knots and an impressive 75 tonnes of bollard pull. It has a fuel oil capacity of 84m³.

The tug’s wheelhouse is designed for maximum 360-degree visibility from the aft-based main console. Main engine exhaust stacks have been routed in areas of natural blind spots, such as the door frame and window mullions, to reduce visibility obstructions around the wheelhouse perimeter. Overhead windows and a rotating mast allow for overhead visibility and ability to undertake operations under the flare of a ship.

Ship handling and towing duties are performed using a double drum winch and dual aperture staple combination off the aft main deck.

Ali Gurun, Vice President of Sanmar, said: “Like our external customers, we have been delighted with the performance of the Delicay class tugs. Their state-of-the-art design was achieved through extensive physical model testing and computational fluid dynamics simulations which, coupled with the use of the latest technologies, means this small tug can achieve and often exceed the work capacity of its larger predecessors. The compact design offers owners and operators the versatility and flexibility to customise the vessel to their specific operational needs.”

Delicay Vlll, which has a dedicated Fi-Fi diesel, will join other Sanmar fleet tugs operating in Nemrut Bay in the Aegean sea west coast Turkey where it will replace the tug Bogacay Xl. The Sanmar fleet operates from major ports around the Turkish coast.

Korhan Doruk, Towage and Pilotage Services Director of Sanmar, said: “We are handling an increasing amount of container ship traffic and this is likely to continue in future. The tractor tug design, with two thrusters at the bow forward amidships, is ideally suited to this sort of work as it offers excellent manoeuvrability and power in all directions, a particular advantage being its ability to offer strength and power when operating sideways. That is why we are increasing the number of this type of tug in our fleet. Our captains are delighted with the opportunities they provide for handling very large vessels, as are our customers.”

Sanmar is currently working on two more tugs in this popular class – Delicay lX and Delicay Xll.