Bremenports, the management company for the twin German ports of Bremen and Bremenhaven, took delivery of its first Damen-built vessel – a Stan Tug (Stu) 1606. Built to a proven design and delivered on time, the tug, named Albatros, will be mobilised primarily in assisting maintenance dredging works at the ports.
The 16.76m Stu 1606 will assist Bremenports’ own bucket dredger in maintenance dredging works at the two ports in northern Germany.
“The Albatros will carry out anchor handling duties for the bucket dredger,” said Frank de Lange, Damen’s sales director for Northwest and Southern Europe. “As bucket dredgers are typically not self-propelled they are held in place with a number of anchors and can change their position by pulling on the anchors.”
Due to the specific nature of the tug’s duties, Bremenports specified a slight change to the standard design. The Albatross has a flushed deck and a larger bow capstan that will be used to raise and lower the dredger’s anchors. The vessel also complies with local German flag requirements.
This delivery is the first Damen vessel for Bremenports. “Our customer requested an August delivery and that is precisely what we provided," said de Lange. "By building the major part of the vessel from stock at our Changde yard in China, we kept the price at an acceptable level.” Damen Shipyards Gorinchem (the Netherlands, HQ) carried out the final modifications and installed the specific systems requested by the customer.
The Damen STu 1606, with its 16 tonne bollard pull, is a multi-functional tug and consequently the Albatros will also perform other tasks such as the transport of personnel and materials for quay and lock maintenance works. The Albatros replaces two tugs that date back to the 1950s and 60s – Hansa and Stör I. These two vintage vessels no longer met the strict requirements demanded by modern port operations.
