VESSEL REVIEW | Mwokozi II – Harbour assist and salvage tug for Kenya Ports Authority

The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) recently took delivery of a new ASD harbour tug from Turkish builder Med Marine.

The RINA-classed, Robert Allan Ltd (RAL) designed Mwokozi II ("Saviour II") was built at Med Marine's Eregli Shipyard for operations at the Kenyan Port of Mombasa, one of the busiest ports in East Africa. Its duties include ship handling, coastal towing, and salvage operations in the waters of East Africa and the Indian Ocean.

The establishment of the IMO's Regional Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre within the Port of Mombasa Port prompted the KPA management to recognise the need of having a sea-going vessel with the capacity to perform salvage and successful search and rescue (SAR) operations, as the incidences of vessel groundings in the Indian Ocean within Kenyan territorial waters became increasingly common in recent years.

RAL said that, within the eastern and northern seaports of East Africa, no country possesses the capacity to mount a proper sea salvage and SAR operation. However, with the introduction of the new tug, salvage operations will create a new revenue stream for the KPA and enhance its standing as a leading port along the Western Indian Ocean Seaboard. The ports authority's managing director approved the procurement of a newbuild salvage tug, and construction lasted from March 2020 to November 2021.

Mwokozi II has a length of 42 metres, a moulded beam of 16 metres, and a maximum draught of 7.2 metres. The vessel is SOLAS compliant for Gross Tonnage of > 1,000. Accommodations are outfitted to high, MLC-compliant standards for a crew of up to 18 personnel. The master, chief engineer, and owner cabins are located on the main deck with eight double crew cabins located in the lower accommodations levels.

The tug's main propulsion comprises a pair of Caterpillar C280-12 diesel engines, each rated 3,700 kW at 1,000 rpm and each driving a Schottel SRP 710 fixed-pitch, 3.4-metre Z-drive propeller. The vessel is also equipped with a Schottel tunnel thruster at the bow for enhanced manoeuvrability. Trials showed the tug can achieve a bollard pull of 126 tonnes and a free running speed of 14.7 knots.

The electrical plant meanwhile comprises two Caterpillar C9.3 200ekW diesel generator sets. These supply power for navigation and communication electronics from Furuno, Simrad, and Jotron.

On the foredeck is a MacGregor MG HAT/GDG-30-1230U02272x2 hydraulically driven, split drum, towing winch accommodating two bu 220 metres of 72mm diameter synthetic rope and fitted with double gypsies and warping heads. The winch is equipped with a length and tension monitoring system with load indicating display in the wheelhouse.

On the aft deck, there is a MacGregor MG-HTWW-1232D10064 hydraulically driven towing winch, accommodating 1,000 metres of 64mm diameter steel wire rope and a MacGregor hydraulic combined shark jaws and towing pins package.

Mwokozi II is also equipped with an off-ship fire-fighting system meeting class Fire Fighting Ship 1 requirements with water spray. The system was supplied by Fire Fighting Systems and comprises two main engine-driven centrifugal pump type FFS SFP 250 x 350 XPH. The two monitors deliver 1,200 m³/h of water and 300 m³/hour of foam.

Ship handling fenders at the bow consist of upper cylindrical fender and lower "W" block fendering below. "D" fendering provides protection at the sheer line, and cylindrical fender is used at the stern.

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