Sanmar rounded off 2023 with delivery of two new heavy-duty tugs to the Directorate General of Coastal Safety at a ceremony attended by leading politicians and maritime industry executives.
Built at Sanmar’s Altinova Shipyard in the heart of the Turkish maritime sector, KURTARMA 17 and KURTARMA 18 are both 29.4m long, 13.3m wide and have a maximum draft of 5.75m. They are each powered by two high-speed Caterpillar 3516C main engines enabling them to achieve an impressive towing force of 82 tons.
Known as BIGAÇAY Xlll and BIGAÇAY X before being renamed by their new owner, the sister tugs are based on the exclusive-to-Sanmar RAstar 2900SX design from Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd.
This ASD tugs are built with a unique sponsored hull form, proven through model and full-scale testing to significantly enhance escort towing and seakeeping performance.
The commissioning ceremony was attended by notable figures including the Turkiye’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Mr. Abdulkadir Uraloğlu; Deputy Ministers, Mr. Durmus Unuvar and Mr. Osman Boyraz, the Chairman of the Chamber of Shipping, Mr. Tamer Kıran; the Governor of Yalova, Mrs. Hülya Kaya; members of Turkiye’s AK Parti, Mr. Ahmet Büyükgümüş and Mrs. Meliha Akyol; the Chairman and General Manager of Directorate General of Coastal Safety, Mr. Mustafa Bankaoğlu and the Director-General of Maritime Affairs, Mr. Ünal Baylan.