Sanmar has delivered two more tugboats to SMS Towage, the UK’s largest independent family towage company, and one of the Turkish shipbuilder’s oldest and most loyal customers.

The delivery of the two RAmparts 2200 class sister tugs, which previously worked in Sanmar’s own fleet, brings the total number of tugboats Sanmar has delivered to SMS Towage to 14. The first was SCOTSMAN which was delivered in 2008.

Known as SIRAPINAR XVIII and SIRAPINAR XV while working in Türkiye, the tugs have been renamed TRUEMAN and KINGSMAN by their new owner, which has a fleet of tugs strategically positioned around the UK in the Humber, Bristol Channel, Belfast, Portsmouth, Teeside and the River Tyne.

The twin sisters are based on the RAmparts 2200 design from Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd and measure 22.4m LOA, with a moulded beam of 10.84m, least moulded depth of 4.4m and approximate navigational draft of 4.85m.

The twin Z-drive, diesel powered tugs are designed for low manning operation and maximum efficiency in the performance of ship-handling duties for sea going ships. They are both powered by two Caterpillar 3512 C main engines, each producing 1,500 kW at 1,600 rev/min to drive 360-degree azimuthing Schottel SRP 360 FP thrusters.

TRUEMAN and KINGSMAN can achieve bollard pulls of 52 tons ahead and 49 tons astern and a free running speed of 11.5 knots. The tugs’ tank capacities include approximately 72m³ of fuel oil, 10.8m³ of fresh water and a 2.4m³ foam tank. A fire-fighting pump is driven through clutched flexible coupling in front of each main engine with a capacity of 1,200m3/hour.

Both TRUEMAN and KINGSMAN are classified by Registro Italiano Navale (RINA) as CX Tug X  AUT-UMS, INWATERSURVEY, Unrestricted Navigation, MLC DESIGN.

Ruchan Civgin, Commercial Director of Sanmar Shipyards, said: “We have had a long term, mutually beneficial relationship with our friends at SMS Towage and we are delighted that we can once again provide them with the type of tugboats that fit their successful business’s specific operational needs. Our popular RAmparts 2200 class tugs are compact, highly manoeuvrable workhorse tugs that get the job done time after time. Our relationship with SMS Towage goes back a long way, and it is always pleasing when they come back to us again and again when enhancing their tug fleet.”