Line-Handler M/T Brage Shipped North

Sanmar Marine’s modern, custom built yard in Turkey has completed the construction of a new design of RAscal class, the 1500, for Norwegian owner operator, Buksér og Berging AS.

This compact class of tug is a series of high-performance but relatively straight forward smaller tugs, all less than 24m in length. Designed exclusively by Robert Allan Ltd, to address the challenges of modern, high-performance Z-drive line-handling and smaller ship-handling tugs, the RAscal hull form has been carefully developed, based on a wide array of previous successful tug designs, to ensure good sea-keeping, manoeuvrability, and stability in all modes of operation.

Brage, as this first vessel is named, measures.14.95m x 8.3m and is designed and built to ABS class. Propulsion power is provided by two 350kW Caterpillar C18 main engines, each driving a type VZ-550 FP, 1250mm diameter, azimuthing thruster from the Dutch manufacturer Veth. This arrangement gives the vessel a bollard pull of 13 tonnes and a maximum free-running speed of 10 knots. Auxiliary power is also by Caterpillar with a pair of C4.4 generator sets, each of 86kW.

Below main deck is the sleeping accommodation, comprising two twin berth cabins. Also on this level, to port, is a pantry and, on the opposite side, a communal head and washroom. Between the two is a lobby with a watertight door leading to the engine room and a staircase up to the wheelhouse. This has two parallel consoles separated by a helm chair on tracks, whilst in the aft starboard quarter a table with bench seating for five persons. The electronics fit-out is extensive for such a compact boat with a Furuno manufactured suite of items including multi-functional display, GPS navigator, radar, echo sounder, AIS, satellite compass and weather station. The bridge is protected by a substantial tubular frame.

The main winch fitted on the fore deck is a hydraulic driven variable speed by DMT with capacity for 80m of 30mm nylon rope in four layers. The brake capacity is 50 tonnes at bare drum. A Data towing hook and capstan are also fitted alongside a Palfinger PK 6500 deck crane on the aft deck.

Brage is to be stationed with Buksér og Berging’s fleet at Statoil’s Mongstad terminal in Norway providing assistance to two powerful Voith tractors and an ASD.

Mid-June saw the conclusion of a remarkable period of cooperation between the owner and builder with Sanmar delivering no less than five vessels to Buksér og Berging in a a relatively short time frame. This impressive quintet includes Borgøy and Bokn, the world’s first two LNG fuelled ASDs designed by the owner, Brage as decribed above and, last to head north, Bison, a Sanmar Terminal class tug attaining 70 tonnes bollard pull from a 28m ASD designed for fuel terminal operations.

Leaving earlier for Norway was Baus, the seventeenth completion of the much admired 50 tonnes BP Ulupinar Series of ship assist tugs. Again by the Canada-based naval architecture firm of Robert Allan Limited, these are twin ASD tugs designed for maximum efficiency in the performance of ship-handling duties.