VESSEL REVIEW | SN Cariri – Brazil's Sulnorte places harbour and coastal tug into service

Sulnorte Serviços Maritimos, a family-owned harbour towage and salvage company that has been operating out of the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro since 1978, has expanded its fleet with the recent acquisition of a new ASD harbour tug built by Brazilian shipyard Estaleiro Rio Maguari (ERM).

SN Cariri was built by ERM to a design by Canadian naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd (RAL) that complies with all applicable rules and regulations of the American Bureau of Shipping, including the A1 Towing Vessel and Unrestricted Navigation class notations.

Sulnorte’s newest tug has an LOA of 23.2 metres (76.1 feet), a moulded beam of 11.4 metres (37.4 feet), a moulded depth of 4.4 metres (14 feet), and a gross tonnage of 298. For ship handling, the bow features one tier of 800mm OD by 400mm ID cylindrical fenders at the main deck level, a 480mm by 300mm W-type fender below it and at the stern, and 300mm D-type fenders along the sheer lines of the main deck. The deck machinery includes a Kraaijeveld windlass/hawser winch forward and a towing hook aft.

Powerful towing capacities

Despite its relatively small size, the tug is equipped with two high-performance Caterpillar 3516C 1,641kW (2,200hp) IMO Tier II diesel engines driving Kongsberg Maritime US205S azimuthing thrusters that house fixed-pitch 2,400mm propellers. RAL said this configuration delivers enhanced manoeuvrability, a free running speed of 12 knots, and a significant bollard pull of 63 tonnes, making the tug ideal for demanding harbour towage tasks.

The tug’s tank capacities are 65 cubic metres (2,300 cubic feet) of fuel oil and 12 cubic metres (420 cubic feet) of potable water. The electrical plant meanwhile consists of two Caterpillar C4.4 diesel generators that each produce 99 ekW at 230 V.

Ample crew accommodation

The safety and comfort of the crew are prioritised through the incorporation of modern accommodation spaces and advanced navigation and communication equipment including a Furuno radar. RAL said this maximises power and efficiency within a compact hull without compromising the occupants’ well-being.

On the main deck, the master’s cabin is situated alongside the galley and adjacent mess, while the lower deck houses three cabins accommodating five crewmembers. One of these cabins is a single cabin for the chief engineer. Both the master’s and chief engineer’s cabins have en suite toilets.

SN Cariri is homeported in Rio De Janeiro and will provide both harbour and coastal towing services for Sulnorte’s customers.