SAAM Towage Adds New Tug to its Panama Fleet

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, it has all the technical specs for safely, efficiently serving the new needs of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and fuel vessels going through the expanded Panama Canal and landing at the Cristóbal port complex.”

Palenque was built by Sanmar Shipyards and designed by Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd. It is a “twin” of the SAAM Valparaiso, also operating in Panama, and the Albatros, currently operating in Peru.

The tug is compact, measuring 24.4 meters long and 11.25 meters wide, ideal for operations in small spaces like the entrances to the Panama Canal or the Cristóbal port.

The tug boasts a bollard pull of 72 tons and a maximum speed of 12.5 knots. The “fire-fighting 1” notation makes the vessel very suitable for operations in LNG and fuel terminals.

It offers accommodations for a crew of up to six people, including crew chambers, a kitchen, showers, double bunks, heating and air conditioning.