Wilson Sons' Fleet Expansion Continues with New Order for 12 Damen Tugboats

ASD 3212 Baladha, image courtesy Damen, click for larger

Damen Shipyards Group and Wilson Sons announced today they have signed a contract for ten Damen ASD Tugs 2411 and two ASD Tugs of the new 3212-type, destined for the booming Brazilian market. The vessels will be built at the Wilson Sons shipyard in GuarujÃ¡, SÃ£o Paulo and will go into service for Wilson Sons subsidiary Saveiros Camuyrano ServiÃ§os Maritimos.

Since the early 1990s, Damen has supported Wilson Sons, a deeply-rooted Brazilian vessel owner who now has one of the biggest tug fleets in Latin America, serving all the Brazilian waters both in harbors, inshore and out at sea. Their fleet consists of approximately 75 tugs of which at least 50 tugs are Azimuth Stern Drives, most of which are Damen standard designs.

ASD 2411 DRACO — ASD 2411, Draco, image courtesy Damen

Crew comfort

Of the ten ASD 2411’s in this contract, five will have a 55t bollard pull and five will have 70 t BP. Wilson Sons is no stranger to this vessel, as they already have 19 of them in their fleet, used mainly in harbour operations and in restricted, inshore conditions. These new 2411’s, however, will comply with the latest IMO and MLC 2006 crew accommodation and comfort regulations.

Towage & salvage

The two Damen ASD 3212’s will be a new departure: this brand new tug type was introduced at the ITS (International Tug & Salvage Convention and Exhibition) in Barcelona in June 2012. It is specially designed for working in challenging conditions and to have a wider range than regular tugs: ideal for salvage in exposed locations and for operations related to Brazil’s offshore oil industry.

The ASD 3212 has a powerful 80t bollard pull and a host of new features, such as extra-thick ‘double sausage’ fendering for improved energy absorption and a high bow to keep the foredeck dry. Damen has co-operated with the Dutch MARIN institute and the Delft University of Technology to further improve hull form, bilge keels and skeg shape, resulting in a vessel that can do its duty in three meter wave height. Maneuverability and crew comfort have also been addressed and the ASD 3212 complies with all major Classification Societies’ requirements and the latest international environmental regulations.

Damen Shipyards will send the first construction packages for these tugs to Brazil in January 2013. Wilson Sons expect to have built all twelve of them by the end of 2015.

Damen and Wilson Sons also have 4 platform supply vessels under construction as was announced in early October.