A big tug arrived in Halifax March 26 in preparation for a big tow.
The tug is the ALP Sweeper, classed as an anchor handling tug, it is equipped for long distance tows of very large vessels such as FPSOs and oil rigs. It is an ice class 1B ship with FiFi II and DP II capability and produces in excess of 300 tonnes bollard pull. Built under license by Niigata Shipbuilding in Japan, it is an Ulstein SX157 design with the patented X-bow.
The Dutch company ALP Maritime Servcies has a fleet of eight long distance towing vessels. A relatively new company, founded in 2010, it filled a gap when older established companies got out of the ocean towing market. Ironically it was announced last month that one of those companies, Royal Boskalis Westminster BV, has acquired ALP from its parent Altera.
Boskalis, primarily a marine construction and dredging company, purchased Smit Salvage in 2010.*
The ALP Sweeper (tugs are named for football [soccer] positions) arrived from Ponta Delgada, Portugal and tied up at Pier 26 in Halifax. It will await arrival of the fire damaged MSC Sao Paulo V from Quebec City. The 53,324 gt container ship had an engine room fire March 3 on the Lower St.Lawrence River when outbound for Sines, Portugal. The ship's cargo was not damaged, so it seems that the ALP Sweeper may tow the fully loaded ship to Portugal.
The MSC Sao Paul V departed Quebec City March 22 in tow of the tug Océan Taïga (8,000 bhp / 100 tonnes bp) with Océan Raynald T (5050 bhp/66 tonnes BP) as stern tug. It is now due in Halifax March 29.
* Addendum:
Royal Boskalis BV acquired Smit International of which Smit Salvage is only one of several divisions, among them: Smit Transport, Smit Fleet, Smit Holding, Smit Engineering etc..
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