VESSEL REVIEW | Saam Acaxual & Saam Centzunat – Turkish-built tug pair take on terminal support duties in El Salvador

Uzmar Shipyard in Turkey has delivered two new ASD terminal support tugs in a series to Saam Towage for its operations at the Port of Acajutla in El Salvador.

The two tugs were built to a design by Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd (RAL) in compliance to Bureau Veritas class rules. Saam Acaxual shares the Nahuatl (an indigenous Latin American language) name for Acajutla, which will be its home port as well as that of its sister Saam Centzunat, itself taking a Nahuatl name for Sonsonate, a region in El Salvador that also includes the city of Acajutla.

Built to serve at the Energia del Pacifico (EDP) LNG terminal in El Salvador, the 500GRT tugs will be used in assisting and escorting LNG tankers, while also providing support to the terminal itself. With this service in mind, both tugs have been outfitted with service-specific safety features including a gas detection system, remotely controlled dampers, and explosion-proof deck machinery. They are also equipped for standby roles, most notably with a Marsis FiFi1 external fire-fighting system with water spray and foam monitors.

The tugs are ideally suited for service at LNG terminals. Each vessel has an LOA of 32 metres, a moulded beam of 13.2 metres, and two Caterpillar 3516C 2,350kW engines that drive Kongsberg Maritime US255 fixed-pitch propellers to deliver a bollard pull of 81 tonnes and a free running speed in excess of 13.5 knots.

The deck machinery package is anchored by a powerful DMT escort winch and a pair of low-profile vertical windlasses also by DMT. A disc type tow hook with quick release is provided aft and is supplied by Data Hidrolik. Operational flexibility and capabilities are also amplified by a Palfinger Marine PK23500 deck crane located clear of the working decks on the deckhouse top.

The tugs are outfitted for a crew complement of up to seven, with three single-berth cabins and a pair of singles plus spare. Each of these cabins is designed to be compliant with MLC 2006 standards and have private en suite toilets and showers. Natural light is provided to all cabins, with large windows into the deckhouse cabins, galley, and mess. The well-appointed galley is finished in stainless steel, and the large crew mess is furnished with ample seating, storage, and quality finishes throughout.

Saam Acaxual and Saam Centzunat sailed under their own power during a 39-day delivery voyage across the Atlantic in April of this year, a journey that also included a passage through the Panama Canal. Saam was finally cleared to commence operations with the new tugs at EDP's Acajutla LNG terminal in September following the issuance of official approval by the Port Maritime Authority of El Salvador (Autoridad Maritima Portuaria; AMP).

See more stories from this month's Tug and Salvage Week here.