Robert Allan Ltd. to design new tugs for Turkey’s TOR Group

(VANCOUVER, British Columbia) — Robert Allan Ltd. has signed a contract with the Turkey-based TOR Group of Companies (TOR) for the design of a series of new RAstar 3300 tugs. These three tugs will be the first designed by Robert Allan Ltd. for TOR, which has a proud history of shipbuilding since 1880, and currently operates a modern shipyard near Istanbul.

Once built, the three custom-designed tugs will enter service with the Ghana Ports & Harbours Authority (GPHA) on the west coast of Africa where shipping volumes are increasing, creating a requirement for powerful modern tugboats. They will be equipped to fulfill a multitude of missions for the GPHA, including but not limited to ship assist, firefighting, and pollution response. Driven by high-speed engines and z-drive propellers, the tugs will each be able to generate in excess of 80 tonnes of bollard pull. A dedicated fire pump engine will provide the required power to meet Fi-Fi 1 standards, while also providing a protective waterspray. The principal deck machinery will comprise of a hawser winch forward and a towing hook aft.

Classification of these 108-foot tugs will be provided by Bureau Veritas, with the notations BV I ✠ Hull, ✠ Mach, Tug, Fire-Fighting 1 Waterspraying, Unrestricted Navigation, ✠ AUT-UMS.

Spacious and climate-controlled MLC 2006 compliant accommodations will provide comfort for a crew of up to eight. Sensitive electrical equipment will also be protected from the heat in an air-conditioned switchboard room.

With an aggressive timeline for delivery to GPHA before the end of 2019, steel cutting for these tugs is expected to begin early in the new year.

For more information on this the RAstar 3300 tug, or any other high-performance vessel designs developed by Robert Allan Ltd., contact design@ral.ca.

By Professional Mariner Staff