The new line handlers joining SAAM Towage Canada's fleet were unloaded from the MV Jumbo at the Port of Vancouver on January 6th after completing their journey from Hong Kong.
“These multipurpose vessels play a key role in berthing and unberthing vessels by transferring mooring lines from the ships being assisted to crews on the ground. They also assist with emergencies, rescuing people from the water and scanning for incipient changes in weather, tides and wind for pilots at the terminal where they provide services,” explained Brook Walker, Director of Operations for SAAM Towage Canada.
The new 14-meter vessels were designed by Mcduff Shipdesign and built by Choey Lee Shipyards in Zhuhai (China).
“Adding these new line handlers enables us to keep our high service standards in Vancouver, optimize our operations and continue to efficiently support our customers,” the executive added.
Inspirational Names
SAAM Towage already chose the names for both vessels, SAAM Lucille and SAAM Eriks, to honor the company's history and inspire its employees through this story. Lucille is named after Lucille Johnstone, known as “Tugboat Annie”, an industry pioneer and driving force behind the company in the 70s and 80s as its executive director and president. The second vessel’s moniker is in homage to the Eriks family, especially John Eriks, who worked as a captain, dispatcher and trained generations of colleagues.