VIDEO: Uzmar deliver’s B.C.’s first IMO Tier III compliant escort tug

Tug will be largest, most capable escort tug operating on Canada's west coast

SAAM SMIT Towage Canada has taken delivery of what will be the first IMO Tier III emissions-compliant escort tug to operate in British Columbia.

Named Tsimshian Warrior, the tug was handed over February 22 by Turkey’s Uzmar Shipyard. Built to Robert Allan Ltd.’s RAstar 3200W design, the vessel has been modified to suit extreme local conditions with upgraded systems.

The Tsimshian Warrior is powered with new generation Cat 3516E 2,525 bkW engines with Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) systems to meet IMO Tier III certification requirements. They drive Rolls Royce US255 CP azimuth thrusters providing 83.5 tones bollard pull ahead and a vessel speed 13 knots.

The state-of-the-art tug is capable of safely performing all ship-handling duties, including berthing, unberthing and escorting in all weather conditions.

The tug features explosion-proof deck equipment and is fully equipped for LNG terminal stand-by roles with a Fi-Fi- 1 external fire-fighting system. Its heavy duty escort towing equipment package is also suitable for rescue towing missions.

The new tug is designed to meet a stringent set of performance requirements that were carefully identified and verified by multiple real-time full-mission bridge simulations in collaboration with British Columbia Coast Pilots Ltd., Pacific Maritime Institute, Towing Solutions Inc., Lantec Marine Inc., Robert Allan Ltd., and SST Canada. These requirements included a bollard pull of 80+ tonnes and indirect escort forces of up to 120 tonnes at 10 knots.