RAL delivered two new tugs to Svitzer Australia

Robert Allan Ltd. has announced that TRAktor 2800-Z tugs Svitzer Abrolhos and Svitzer Wilu were successfully delivered to Svitzer Australia in January and March 2021, respectively. 

The two vessels will enter service at Geraldton Port, Western Australia, joining the Svitzer North, a Robert Allan Ltd. designed RAstar 3000-W tug which was delivered at the end of 2020. All three tugs were constructed at ASL Shipyard Pte. Ltd., Singapore.

These z-drive powered tugs were designed to operate both ahead and astern with superior maneuverability. They have excellent stability for escort operations using the winch on the aft deck. They also maintain good sea keeping performance for coasting towing and free-run operations with ahead navigation. As per the owner, these tugs are some of the most powerful tractor tugs in their Australian fleet. The new tugs will provide increased capability during heightened weather conditions and during emergency events.

In 2019, in conjunction with Mid West Ports, Svitzer Australia held a community naming competition. Svitzer Abrolhos was named in honour of the local, historically significant, island jewels off the coast of Geraldton. The Abrolhos Islands hold countless stories of shipwrecks, mutiny, and maritime history, and play an ongoing role in the region’s aquaculture and tourism industries. Wilu in Svitzer Wilu is the Yamaji word for sea, seaside or saltwater, reflecting the critical role the Yamaji people play in the Mid-West region.

Key particulars of the vessels are:

• Length, overall (excluding fenders): 28.4 m
• Beam, moulded: 12.80 m
• Depth, least moulded: 4.68 m
• Maximum draft (navigational): 5.71 m
• Gross Tonnage: 443

The accommodations have been outfitted to a high standard for a crew of eight. The deckhouse contains an entrance lobby, the galley, mess, two officer cabins with ensuite WC, HVAC room and a change room with laundry and WC. The lower deck contains three double berth cabins each with an ensuite WC. The wheelhouse is designed with a single split control station which provides maximum all round visibility and exceptional visibility to the bow and side fendering. The engine room features an acoustically isolated switchboard room.

Trial results were as follows:

• Bollard pull, ahead: Both Svitzer Albrolhos & Svitzer Wilu reached beyond the designed bollard pull of 70 tonnes
• Free running speed, ahead: 12.8 kts