Towage – Tug DUCHESS towing Barges GPS 631 and OSPREY FABRIQUE – 25.08.2023
On Friday 25th August 2023 the Damen 2021 built 27.05 metre anchor handling tug DUCHESS arrived at Malta towing 2 Flat Top Barges – a Damen Stan Pontoon 6316, the 63metre GPS 631 and the Tabmarine Barge 5019 50 metre OSPREY FABRIQUE. Local Tugs SEA SALVOR and WENZINA who was on duty started the operation […]
Breaking Up – Italian Navy Sauro Class Submarines – April 2024
After the loading and discharging of 2 Italian Navy Maestrale Class Frigates, the semi submersible heavy lift vessel (SSHL) SEAWAY ALBATROSS returned to La Spezia, Italy to load more naval units, this time – Sauro Class Diesel Electric Submarines. These were the Batch I ITS CARLO FECCIA DI COSSATO S 519 built at Fincantieri, Monfalcone […]
Tugboats – FAIRPLAY 21
One of the Spanish built tugs trading in the German Towage Industry is the 1997 built tug FAIRPLAY 21 which has identical sisters – FAIRPLAY 22, 23 and 24. She was built by Naveles Santodomingo to a design from Aarts Marine BV for the German Towage Company – Fairplay Towage of which invested 19million in […]
Smit International – Tugboat ZEELEEUW
Smit Internationale N.V. (or Smit International) was a Dutch company operating in the maritime industry. It was founded in 1842 by Fop Smit as a towage company with onl 1 paddle steamer tug KINDERDIJK. Fop’s sons, Jan and Leendert, continued the company under the name L. Smit & Co and expanded the fleet. In 1870, they began using tugs with […]
Malta Shipyards – Drillship GSF EXPLORER Operations – May 2005.
One of the most interesting drillship operations at Grand Harbour, is no doubt the one of the American GSF EXPLORER that happened during June 2005. On Saturday 7th May afternoon the 189 metres long (loa) drillship GSF EXPLORER coming from the Gulf of Mexico and homeported at Houston, Texas (USA Flag) was spotted entering Grand […]
Local Shipping – Jack Up Barge ALASTAIR IV
One of the few local owned jack up barge around was the 48 m ALASTAIR IV owned by Alastair Offshore Services Ltd part of Zammit Group of Companies. She was built in Malta by Malta Shipbuilding Co Ltd (MSCL), delivered during early September, 2001 as a drilling barge prototype. She was built in record time […]
Local Shipping – Ferry CALYPSOLAND
One of the ferries that used to operate in the Gozo Channel, between Malta and Gozo was the 1932 Dutch built CALYPSOLAND. She was built at De Schelde in Vlissingen, Netherlands as the PRINS HENDRIK but a year later in 1933 she was modified due to instability problems by the same yard. In 1940 she […]
