Wilson Sons to build 12 Damen ASD tugs for its fleet

NOVEMBER 12, 2012 — Damen Shipyards Group and Wilson Sons (Brazil) have signed a contract for twelve Damen ASD (Azimuth Stern Drive) tugs. Ten are of Damen’s 2411 type, while two will be of the new 3212-type.

Damen’s new type 3212 (left) features “double sausage” fendering

The vessels will be built at the Wilson Sons shipyard in Guarujá, São Paulo and will go into service for Wilson Sons subsidiary Saveiros Camuyrano Serviços Maritimos.

Wilson Sons has one of the biggest tug fleets in Latin America, serving all the Brazilian waters both in harbors, inshore and out at sea. Its fleet consists of approximately 75 tugs of which at least 50 are ASD vessels, most of which are Damen standard designs.

The two companies have achieved a high level of cooperation: Wilson Sons builds locally, using drawing, engineering and materials packages provided by Damen and achieving the same high standards which have made Damen Shipyards a world leader in all round harbor tugs.

Crew comfort

Five of the ten ASD 2411 tugs covered  in the latest contract will have a 55 t bollard pull and five will have a 70 t BP. Wilson Sons already has 19 ASD 2411s in its fleet, used mainly in harbor operations and in restricted, inshore conditions. These latest 2411s,  will comply with the latest IMO and MLC 2006 crew accommodation and comfort regulations.

Towage & salvage

The two Damen ASD 3212s will be the first in the Wilson fleet. Introduced at the ITS (International Tug & Salvage Convention and Exhibition) in Barcelona in June 2012, the ASD 312 is specially designed for working in challenging conditions and to have a wider range than regular tugs: ideal for salvage in exposed locations and for operations related to Brazil’s offshore oil industry.

The ASD 3212 has a powerful 80 t Bollard Pull and many new features, such as extra-thick “double sausage” fendering for improved energy absorption and a high bow to keep the foredeck dry. Damen has co-operated with the Dutch MARIN institute and the Delft University of Technology to further improve hull form, bilge keels and skeg shape, resulting in a vessel that can do its duty in three meter wave heights.  Maneuverability and crew comfort have also been addressed and the ASD 3212 complies with all major classification societies’ requirements and the latest international environmental regulations.

Damen Shipyards will send the first construction packages for these tugs to Brazil in January 2013. Wilson Sons expects to have completed all twelve of them by the end of 2015.