Designed by Macduff Ship Design and built by Cheoy Lee shipyards, the first two vessels of a new design have been delivered to SAAM Towage Canada.
Commissioned by Cheoy Lee shipyards to fit within their existing range of standard workboat and tugs, the brief for Macduff Ship Design was for a small workboat with capacity for simple modification so that it could be tailored to specific owner requirements.
The simple design for the first vessels enables them to complete multiple roles as a general workboat or line handling vessel within many industries. The conventional layout with a forward wheelhouse and large open deck is complemented with the fitting of a tow post and 10 T SWL tow hook.
The design enables significant variation in future vessels with the main optional changes being the potential of an addition fo’c’sle deck to give higher forward freeboard and improved below deck accommodation, and the option to lengthen the vessel mid-ships to suit owner requirement. The design also allows for the addition of winches or a crane to be fitted to any of the designs.
Kort propulsion twin propellers are driven by Caterpillar C9.3 main engines rated at 416 HP @ 2100 rpm, coupled to 2 x Twin Disc MGX5114 gearboxes driving the two 1250mm propellers which are fitted in Kort nozzles to give an improved bollard pull. On trials the vessels achieved an impressive 10T Bollard Pull and also 10.2 knots.
