Damen to Build Eastland Port’s New Tug

The deal for Eastland Port’s new $10 million tug has been signed. The new tug will be made by Damen Shipyards and will be known as the Waimata. It replaces the 36-year-old tug Turihaua.

It will be built in Vietnam and is expected to be completed and delivered by August next year. The Waimata will be a much stronger tug, with a bollard pull of 65 tonnes and displacing 400 tonnes compared to 14 tonnes and 100 tonnes displacement.

Eastland Port marine manager Charlie Jamieson says the past few years have seen a huge increase in ship size, particularly logging vessels coming into the port. “Six or so years ago we were getting the 160 m to 170 m vessels with a beam of 27.5 m and dead weight of around 28,000 tonnes. Now we are getting vessels that are 190 m long, with a beam of 32.5 m and a dead weight of 36,000 tonnes and that’s unloaded. With a full load, they are over 50,000 tonnes. That’s a dramatic increase for little extra size.”

Eastland Group chief executive Matt Todd said it was an important investment not just for the port, but the wider region. “It underscores our willingness and commitment to invest and improve in the operating, efficiency and safety of the port. This is an important asset for the port, forestry and region.”

The extra bollard pull of The Waimata offered the port and its workers a greater safety margin for handling these vessels in what is considered to be a very restricted area.

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Source: Holland Shipbuilding, June 17, 2013