Robert Allan Turkish Tugboat Workhorses Delivered

Admirers of Lewis Carroll's classic 'The Hunting of the Snark' are unlikely ever to forget the names of the two new  Robert Allan TS 2000 design 20m long tugboats 'Garp' and Sark', recently delivered from the Besiktas Shipyard to the Directorate General of Coastal Safety in their home port of Istanbul.

Configured as conventional twin-screw tugs, GARP and SARK are designed to perform ship-assist/ harbour tug duties and construction support. With a significantly low air draft and a shallow navigational draft there are few places inaccessible to these tugs, and they were also designed for the maximum speed possible for a tug of this size.

Garp and Sark have been outfitted to high standards in a compact space for crew of up to 4 people. The lower accommodation deck consists of a combined mess and pantry, two double crew cabins with a shared en-suite. The wheelhouse is designed for maximum all-round visibility from the forward control station, with conventional helm controls.

Main propulsion comprises a pair of Baudouin M26.2 diesel engines each rated 808 kW at 1900 rpm, and each driving fixed pitched 1.6 m diameter propellers on conventional shaft lines. The vessels have wet exhausts in order to achieve the extremely low air draft.

The deck machinery comprises a forward hawser winch from Data Hidrolik with a brake  capacity of 50 tonnes and a line pull of 25 tonnes at 8 m/min. The aft deck has a 27 tonne SWL tow hook, a 3 tonne capstan and a telescopic deck crane with a 6.5m reach. The bow of the vessel is fitted with push knees and fenders for barge manoeuvring duties.

Bollard pull ahead is 24 tonnes, and free running speed is 11 knots.