Astilleros Zamakona building series of Voith Water Tractors

DECEMBER 2, 2015—Spanish shipbuilder Astilleros Zamakona is currently building two 80-ton bollard pull Voith Water Tractors that are based on a design by Canadian naval architectural firm Robert Allan Ltd.

The tugs are being built for Boluda Corporación Marítima, a subsidiary of Boluda Towage and Salvage, as part of a newbuilding program in order to increase the company’s current tug capability in Spanish Ports. This newbuilding program will include up to 10 Advanced Voith Water Tractors (AVT) of 80 tons of bollard pull in the next five years. Astilleros Zamakona Pasaia expects to deliver the first two tugs in the fourth quarter of 2016.

The project leverages the extensive design experience of Robert Allan Ltd. and Boluda’s practical knowledge in towing operations and management. The result will be a tug that increases the standards in towing operations to become a reference tug of Boluda for the coming future.

The tugs will incorporate Caterpillar MaK diesel engines, deck machinery from Ibercisa and Voith Schneider Propellers.

The two compact tugs have a length of 31.57 meters, a beam of 12.8 meters. Each will be equipped with two 32R5/265-Voith Schneider Propellers (VSP), two 1330 DTL Turbo Couplings, two RENK bow-tooth couplings and a control stand for reliable propulsion and excellent maneuverability in ports and at sea.