The brand new, environmentally friendly tug Tradesman arrived at Hull from Istanbul in September before transferring to the UK flag.
She is the latest tug to join the SMS fleet and will manoeuvre boats and super tankers safely into the ports of Hull and Immingham.
Weighing over 190 tonnes, Tradesman is powered by twin Caterpillar 1,500kW engines capable of pulling super tankers carrying gas or oil of up to 200,000 tonnes. The tug is also fitted with firefighting pumps.
Built by Sanmar Shipyards in Turkey, the 22m boat will operate in and around the Humber estuary.
Paul Escreet, chairman of SMS Towage, said:
“The Humber estuary is one of the busiest trading areas in Europe, but its powerful tide means there needs to be a substantial fleet of tugs readily available to ensure that vessels are capable of manoeuvring and berthing safely.
“This latest investment in our fleet means reflects our aim of providing our customers with more modern and environmentally friendly tugs at the Humber port, while complementing the existing fleet to meet our specific operational needs.”
Photo by courtesy of Patrick Hill (copyright)
