Mexico's SAAM Towage Adds 80-Tonne Bollard Pull Tug

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On November 11, Mexican tug operator SAAM Towage announced that its new tug Ximbal is en route from Turkey to Mexico, where it will enter service at the Port of Lázaro Cárdenas on the Pacific coast upon arrival. Built by Turkish shipyard Sanmar to the RAmparts 2400SX-MKII design of Canadian naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd., the vessel has a maximum bollard pull exceeding 80 tonnes and will primarily handle berthing and unberthing of large ships, in-harbor towing, and emergency assistance missions.

Ximbal has a length of 24.4 meters, a beam of 12 meters, and a maximum navigational draft of 5.45 meters. It is equipped with two Caterpillar 3516E main engines, each rated at 2,350 kW, and has a maximum speed of approximately 13 knots. The vessel features a compact hull design that enables turning and towing operations in space-restricted areas such as berths and channels.

The tug is fitted with a FiFi 1 firefighting system and can perform port firefighting and emergency rescue missions. Its wheelhouse and engine room feature a high degree of automation, and it is equipped with a sewage treatment plant and an oil-water separator to handle wastewater and oily water generated during vessel operations.

The Port of Lázaro Cárdenas is located on Mexico's Pacific coast and is an important gateway for the country's international trade and container shipping. With the growth of large merchant vessels and port cargo operations, tugs are required to handle ship arrivals and departures, maneuvering in narrow waters, and emergency towing. Once in service, Ximbal will supplement the local port's towing capacity.

Ximbal was formally delivered on October 23 and is the 18th tug Sanmar has delivered to SAAM Towage since 2018. During construction the vessel was named BOĞAÇAY XCVI and was renamed SAAM XIMBAL upon delivery. This deployment is also part of SAAM Towage's ongoing fleet renewal in the Americas.