Riverwijs bolsters fleet with four new tugs

Riverwijs will take delivery of four new, more powerful tugs featuring the latest technology from Hong Kong-based Chinese shipbuilder Cheoy Lee starting in August.

The new tugs – Riverwijs Maryon, Riverwijs Karoline, Riverwijs Fiona and Riverwijs Maria – will replace the Riverwijs Claudine, Riverwijs Gillian, Riverwijs Edwina and Riverwijs Olivia with the older boats being placed on the charter market.

The boats will service the North West Shelf Project working out of the port of Dampier and Withnell Bay Terminal for Riverwijs' client, Woodside Energy.

Riverwijs also provides towage services in the port at the Dampier Cargo Wharf and Bulk Liquid Facility.

The new tugs have been purpose-built for berthing and un-berthing gas tankers, being designed by noted Canadian naval architect Robert Allan.

They are more powerful than the four boats they replace, producing 65 tonnes of bollard pull compared with 50 tonnes previously.

They have an overall length of 30.8 metres, beam of 11 metres and maximum draft of 5 metres with a crew of three and speed of 12.5 knots.

The tugs are equipped with the latest technology to meet the stringent requirements of a hydrocarbon handling facility and feature fire fighting services, oil pollution response and first-response salvage capability.