Robert Allan Ltd.
Robert Allan Ltd. is a globally renowned Canadian company specializing in the design of commercial workboats, particularly tugboats, and other vessels for various marine applications. Founded in 1930 by Robert Allan, the company has earned a reputation for innovative design, engineering excellence, and a strong commitment to quality. Its headquarters are located in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Key Aspects of Robert Allan Ltd.:
History and Legacy:
- Founding: Established in 1930, initially focusing on local tug, barge, and ferry designs.
- Evolution: Over the decades, the company has grown and flourished, expanding its range of services and its global footprint.
Specialization:
- Tugboats: Known primarily for their advanced tugboat designs, which are used worldwide in diverse and challenging environments.
- Fireboats, Barges, and Workboats: In addition to tugboats, the company designs a variety of specialized vessels tailored to meet the needs of different maritime industries.
Innovative Designs:
- RAstar and RAmparts Series: Well-known series of tugboat designs that offer high efficiency, stability, and safety.
- Environmental Considerations: Incorporating eco-friendly technologies and designs to reduce environmental impact.
Global Reach:
- International Projects: Robert Allan Ltd. has an extensive portfolio of projects spanning multiple continents, delivering vessels to clients around the world.
- Collaborations: Works closely with shipyards and marine operators globally to ensure that design specifications meet local and international standards.
Engineering and Consulting Services:
- Custom Designs: Providing bespoke design solutions to meet specific client needs.
- Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering: Offering comprehensive engineering services including hull form development, structural design, and stability analysis.
- Consulting: Advising on vessel modifications, retrofits, and compliance with regulatory requirements.
Commitment to Quality and Safety:
- Standards: Adhering to rigorous quality standards and best practices in naval architecture.
- Safety: Emphasizing safety in all designs, ensuring that vessels can operate efficiently and securely under various conditions.
Leadership and Innovation:
- Industry Influence: Robert Allan Ltd. is considered a leader in the maritime design industry, often setting trends and introducing innovations.
- Research and Development: Continuing to invest in R&D to enhance vessel performance, environmental sustainability, and operational efficiency.
Notable Projects:
- The company has been involved in numerous high-profile projects, including the design of some of the most sophisticated and powerful tugboats and specialized workboats in operation today.
Vision and Future:
- Sustainability: Focused on integrating green technologies and sustainable design practices.
- Technological Advancements: Continually leveraging the latest advancements in technology to improve the functionality and efficiency of their vessels.
In summary, Robert Allan Ltd. stands as a paragon of naval architecture and marine engineering, recognized for its comprehensive and forward-thinking vessel designs, commitment to quality, and substantial impact on the global maritime industry.
- Phone: 604-736-9466
- Web: www.ral.bc.ca
- Fax: 604-736-9483
Locations
Robert Allan Ltd. News
SMS Towage Buys Tug from Sanmar
![(Photo: Sanmar Shipyards)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/photo-sanmar-shipyards-128881.png)
Sanmar Shipyards said it has reached a deal to sell one of its 2020-built tugboats to SMS Towage, the UK’s largest family-owned towage company.The contract is for the purchase of Sirapinar XV, a vessel based on the RAmparts 2200 design from Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd, which is currently operating as part of Sanmar’s fleet.Designed for maximum efficiency in the performance of ship-handling duties for seagoing ships…
Svitzer Unveils TRAnsverse Tug
![(Image: Svitzer)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/image-svitzer-128004.png)
Towage operator Svitzer announced an agreement with Robert Allan Ltd. and Sanmar Shipyards to build its next generation multipurpose tug.According to Svitzer the new smaller and nimbler TRAnsverse Tug is able to generate higher steering forces than most designs of similar dimensions and comes with an innovative staple design and unique ability to push, pull and maneuver in all directions. With omni direction hull form and propulsion…
Rolls-Royce to Supply mtu Engines for New Svitzer Tugs in Brazil
![(Photo: Rolls-Royce)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/photo-rollsroyce-127887.jpg)
Rolls-Royce revealed it is supplying eight 16V 4000 M63 mtu engines to Brazilian shipyard Rio Maguari, to be installed in four new tugboats being built for Maersk's towage arm Svitzer. The engines, each with an output of 2,000 kW, will be delivered by May 2022.The four new tugs of the Ramparts 2300 series designed by Robert Allan Ltd. have a bollard pull of 70 tons and are to be used in ports in Brazil.With the new vessels, Svitzer will operate a total of 11 mtu-powered tugs in Brazil.
New Battery Hybrid Tugboat Design Unveiled
![MBB & RAL rendering of new ElectRA 3000-H battery hybrid tugboat design. (Image: MBB)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/mbb-ral-rendering-of-new-127807.png)
Master Boat Builders, Inc. (MBB), together with naval architect and marine engineering firm, Robert Allan Ltd. (RAL) announced the creation of a new battery hybrid tugboat design, the ElectRA 3000-H. This design has been developed over the past several months to suit the evolving needs of U.S. tugboat operators.“This unique hybrid tugboat design is the result of a strong and growing working relationship between Robert Allan Ltd.
Two New Tugs Enter Service at Port of Acajutla
![(Photo: SAAM Towage)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/photo-saam-towage-127686.jpg)
A pair of new new tugs at the Port of Acajutla will provide services for the first project to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) to El Salvador, a joint initiative from Energía del Pacífico (EDP) and the U.S. group Invenergy.The SAAM Towage vessels SAAM Acaxual and SAAM Centzunat were christened as part of the festivities to celebrate the arrival of the first floating storage and regassification unit (FSRU), the BW Tatiana, at the city’s port.
First RAstar 2800-CL ASD Escort Tug Delivered
![(Photo: Robert Allan Ltd.)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/photo-robert-allan-ltd-127625.jpg)
Svitzer Suez 1, the first RAstar 2800-CL ASD escort tug, has been delivered to Svitzer Egypt LLC by Cheoy Lee Shipyards and will soon commence operations in the Suez Canal. Svitzer are the first owners of this new escort tug design and a further nine tugs to this design have already been ordered with Cheoy Lee.The RAstar 2800-CL design started with a “blank sheet of paper”, according to naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd.…
Master Boat Builders Launches Hybrid Tug for Seabulk
![Seabulk hybrid tugboat Spartan being launched at MBB’s Coden, Ala. shipyard (Photo: Master Boat Builders)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/seabulk-hybrid-tugboat-spartan-being-127430.jpg)
Seabulk's new electric-hybrid tugboat Spartan was launched on November 1 at Master Boat Builders' Coden, Ala., shipyard.Scheduled to be delivered in January 2022, the Robert Allan Ltd.-designed vessel has overall length of 98 feet, beam of 43 feet and bollard pull of 90 tons. The integrated hybrid propulsion system was provided by Thompson Tractor and includes two EPA Tier 4 certified Caterpillar 3512E main engines…
Maersk's Svitzer to Develop Methanol Fuel Cell Tug
![(Photo: Svitzer)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/photo-svitzer-127291.jpg)
A.P. Moller - Maersk’s towage operator Svitzer has signed an agreement with naval architect company Robert Allan Ltd to design the world’s first fuel cell tug for harbor operations, running on green methanol.The project aims to explore the combination of methanol fuel cells, batteries, storage/handling systems, electric drives and propulsion units as a carbon neutral alternative to the conventional fossil fueled propulsion train.Ingrid Uppelschoten Snelderwaard…
Retrofitted Pair to Be First Tier III Tugs in Italian Ports
![Ali Gurun, Vice President of Sanmar, and Alberto Dellepiane CEO Italy for Rimorchiatori Mediterranei. (Photo: Sanmar Shipyards)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/ali-gurun-vice-president-of-127074.jpg)
Sanmar Shipyards said it has signed a contract to deliver two cleaner and greener versions of its Bogacay series of tugs to Sicily-based operator Rimorchiatori Augusta Srl. BOGACAY LII and BOGACY LIV have been refurbished and their propulsion systems upgraded using the latest technology to make them IMO Tier III emissions compliant. They will be delivered to Augusta Port in Sicily towards the end of…
New Tug Enters Service at Portland Port
![(Photo: Portland Port)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/photo-portland-port-126234.jpg)
On September 18, Portland Port held the official naming ceremony of the newest tug to enter the fleet, the Rupert Best.It was announced earlier this year that the new tug would be arriving at Portland Port following its construction in 2019. The tug was built in Turkey to a Robert Allen design, the Sanmar Sirapinar class ‘RAmparts 2200’ azimuth stern drive tug will improve and help support the port’s…
Master Boat Builders Building Two New Tugs for Suderman & Young
![Rendering of Suderman and Young Towing Company tug being constructed by Master Boat Builders (Image: Master Boat Builders)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/rendering-of-suderman-and-young-126202.jpg)
Master Boat Builders, Inc. on Monday announced it will construct two new tugboats in its Coden, Ala., yard for Suderman and Young Towing Company of Houston, Texas.Under a contract order signed in February 2021, Suderman & Young will receive two vessels scheduled for delivery starting in July 2022. This summer, Master Boat Builders laid the keel for the first of the vessels.The tugboats will have an overall length of 85 feet, beam of 38.5 feet, and produce a bollard pull of over 52 metric tonnes.
Wärtsilä to Supply Engines for New Brazilian Pusher Tugs
![(Photo: Hidrovias do Brasil)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/photo-hidrovias-do-brasil-126195.jpg)
Wärtsilä will supply the engines for two new pusher tugs being built for the Brazilian operator Hidrovias do Brasil at the Uzmar Shipyard in Turkey. There is an option for an additional two vessels. The Hidrovias fleet already includes a number of vessels operating with Wärtsilä engines, and their operational dependability and competitive lifecycle cost were cited as key considerations in the award of this latest contract…
SAAM Towage Adds New Tug to its Panama Fleet
![(Photo: SAAM Towage)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/photo-saam-towage-126086.jpg)
After a 30-day voyage from Altinova, Turkey, SAAM Towage's newest tug SAAM Palenque has arrived in Colón, Panama, where the company provides towage services on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.SAAM Towage Country Manager in Panama, Matia de Luiggi said, “We have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of this new tug, which will be an important reinforcement for our fleet. A compact vessel with advanced fire-fighting systems…
Sanmar Teams up with Corvus to Develop Zero-emissions Tugs
![The partnership agreement was signed during European Tug Owners Association Meeting held in Turku. (Photo: Sanmar)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/the-partnership-agreement-was-signed-125636.jpg)
Corvus Energy and Sanmar Shipyards are teaming up with the aim to develop a new range of zero-emission and hybrid tugs.The partners signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to jointly explore and establish a path for the future supply and integration of energy supply systems and fuel cell technology for an even wider range of innovative and cost-effective electric and hybrid tugs, with the plan to…
Steerprop to Deliver Azimuth Propulsors for Series of RAmparts Tugs
![(Image: Steerprop)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/image-steerprop-125255.jpg)
UZMAR Shipyards has chosen Steerprop to deliver six SP 20 WD azimuth propulsion units for a series of three Robert Allan Ltd. designed RAmparts 2300_UZM tugs being built.The contract for the six SP 20 WD azimuth propulsion units, delivering 1,610 kW of power each, was signed in April 2021 and will be delivered in the third quarter of 2021.“The Robert Allan designed RAmparts 2300_UZM tugs with 50+ ton of bollard pull are very efficient and agile tugs…
Kuwait Oil Company gets a new Oil Spill Recovery/Offshore Support Vessel
![Image courtesy Robert Allan Ltd.](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/image-courtesy-robert-allan-ltd-124632.jpg)
The 60m RAmpage 6000-ZM vessel Koc Al Zour, built by Uzmar Shipyard, will be the largest Robert Allan Ltd. design ever built in Turkey. She is designed and constructed as a modern double azimuth stern drive (ASD) and is the most capable multipurpose oil spill recovery and offshore support vessel Kuwait Oil Company has ever ordered.The vessel is equipped to undertake operations such as oil spill response…
Ship Design: Pure 3D Process Deployed for US-built Advanced Rotortug
![ABS, Robert Allan, Signet and USCG use purely 3D process to celiver commercial vessel. Image courtesy of Robert Allan Ltd](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/abs-robert-allan-signet-and-123940.jpg)
The evolution of commercial ship design and construction now includes a first in the U.S.: the first commercial U.S. vessel designed, built and verified using an end-to-end 3D design process, a project coordinated through ABS, Robert Allan Ltd. (RAL), Signet Maritime Corporation (Signet) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG).Designed by RAL, the Advanced Rotortug (ART), which is designed to escort vessels and offshore assets at the Port of Corpus Christi…
Royal Thai Navy signs on for a new RAmparts 3200-SD Tug
![Photo courtesy Robert Allan Ltd.](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/photo-courtesy-robert-allan-ltd-123918.jpg)
A contract for a new RAmparts 3200-SD tug was recently signed by Robert Allan Ltd. and Asian Marine Services Public Company Limited (ASIMAR) of Thailand for the design for the Royal Thai Navy. ASIMAR signed the construction contract with the Royal Thai Navy on May 25th, 2021, with Admiral Chatchai Sriworakan, Commander in Chief presiding over the signing ceremony.The Royal Thai Navy currently operates two RAmparts 3200 tugs…
Crowley Takes Delivery of New Compact Escort Tug
![(Photo: Crowley)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/photo-crowley-123788.jpg)
Crowley Maritime Corp.’s ship assist and harbor escort services group has taken delivery of Apollo, a powerful and maneuverable tugboat with the most compact size in the U.S.The tugboat has completed final outfitting at shipbuilder Diversified Marine Inc. in Portland, Ore., and will deploy soon to serve the San Francisco Bay. Like its sister tug operated by Crowley, Hercules, the Apollo was designed by Robert Allen Ltd.
Wärtsilä Tapped to Power BC's RAL-designed Escort Tugs
![Image courtesy Wärtsilä](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/image-courtesy-wrtsil-123772.png)
Wärtsilä was tapped to supply the main engines and liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel gas supply systems for two new LNG-fueled escort tugs being built for Canada’s HaiSea Marine, a joint venture between the Haisla Nation and Seaspan Marine Transportation. Designed by Robert Allan Ltd., the vessels are under construction at Sanmar Shipyards in Turkey. They are expected to be two of the most environmentally advanced escort tugs operating in the coastal waters of British Columbia in Canada.