Tug sent abroad to make way for new boat

Otago Daily Times

30-05-2025

For more than two decades the tug boat Otago has been a familiar sight, plying the Otago Harbour channel with large ships in tow.
But next week it will be given a fond wave by Port Otago staff as it is hitched to the stern of a ship and towed across the Tasman to Sydney.
Port Otago marine and infrastructure general manager Grant Bicknell said it had been sold to an Australian commercial marine towage service and would eventually be based in Cairns.
All of its windows have been boarded up to handle big-sea conditions and it was expected to depart on Wednesday.
He said Otago was sold so the port could buy a new $15 million 70-tonne Damen ASD 2312 tug.
The purchase is part of Port Otago's strategy to be New Zealand's "always open" port, capable of handling the biggest ships visiting the country.
Port Otago chief executive Kevin Winders said the new tug was a key piece of infrastructure that would allow the port to be big-ship capable.
"We already have the three other essential components in place — the multi-purpose wharf, at 430m long and a berth depth of 14m; consent to deepen the Lower Harbour channel to 15m and a new state-of-the-art dredge on order.
"By January 2026 we will also have the tug fleet we need — that is a fleet capable of handling container vessels up to 10,000TEU and larger bulk ships.
"It's also relevant that these bigger vessels have lower carbon footprints per container movement."
It would join the tug Taiaroa (a Damen 70-tonne bollard pull) and tug Arihi (a 30-tonne bollard pull).
Mr Bicknell said to manoeuvre a 10,000TEU container vessel in the swing basin and on to the Multipurpose Wharf required two 70-tonne bollard-pull tugs.
Alongside the capability advantages, the upgrade also reduced the tug fleet's maintenance risk and provided a better carbon outcome, he said.
"The Damen tug's modern Euro 6 diesel engine uses two-thirds as much fuel as the 21-year-old Otago.
"It has excellent manoeuvrability because of its compact shape, patented Twin Fin skeg configuration and twin Azimuth thrusters."
He said the single winch design was another feature that had both operation and safety benefits.
"Older tugs have two winches — one for fore and one for aft — but the Damen ASD 2312 has only one centrally-placed winch that's integrated into the tug's superstructure.
"The central positioning means that the winch is capable of towing over the bow and over the stern.
"As a result, the deck is more spacious, free of clutter and safer."
The new tug is under construction in the Damen Changde shipyard in China and is expected to arrive early next year.
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