Sanmar Shipyards, a global leader in tugboat construction, has delivered the powerful new escort tug GAIA to Greek operator NEMECA, marking Sanmar’s first vessel built for a Greek client. Based on the exclusive-to-SANMAR the RAstar 2900SX tug design from naval architects Robert Allan Ltd., will enhance NEMECA’s fleet, providing superior manoeuvrability and safety across key Greek ports, including Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Corfu, and Kavala.
NEMECA provides harbour towage, open sea towage and salvage services and can also provide vessels for anchor handling, rig moves and supply duties.
GAIA RAstar 2900SX tug has the advantage of the unique sponsored hull form designed for SANMAR’s Bigaçay range of ASD tugs which has been proven to significantly enhance escort towing and seakeeping performance, particularly in exposed areas, where exceptional seakeeping capabilities are crucial.
With an overall length of 29.4m, moulded beam of 13.3m and moulded depth of 5.5m, GAIA is powered by two CAT 3516E main engines, each producing 2,350kW at 1,800 rev/min and can achieve an impressive bollard pull of 82 tons.
It has high-standard accommodation for a crew of up to 10 and comes with Fi-Fi 1 fire-fighting capability.
Rüçhan Çıvgın, Commercial Director of Sanmar Shipyards, said: “This powerful tug is designed to withstand and overcome adverse conditions and get the job done however difficult the circumstances. Relatively compact, it out-classes larger rivals in terms of performance and durability.
“We are delighted to have NEMECA as a new customer, our first in Greece, and that we have been able to provide them with a high-performance modern tug with outstanding seakeeping qualities, that will undoubtedly be a major asset in their fleet.”
Mario Mizzi, Managing Director of NEMECA, expressed his great satisfaction with the construction quality level of this state-of-the-art vessel and proudly welcomed the new addition to the company’s fleet. He stated that tug Gaia marks another milestone in the Company’s journey to scale up its service capacity, guaranteeing the highest level of efficiency and safe operations to all its clients calling in the Greek ports.
