Sanmar Hands Over New Harbour Tug for Bulgaria's Black Sea Port
Turkish shipbuilder Sanmar Shipyards has delivered a new harbour tugboat to Bulgarian operator VTC S.A., marking the fifth vessel supplied to the company since their partnership began in 2003.
The tug, renamed KASTRITSI by its new owner, will join VTC's fleet at the Black Sea port of Varna, supporting harbour towage and marine operations.
Based on the RApport 2500 design by Robert Allan, KASTRITSI is a shallow-draft Azimuth Stern Drive (ASD) tug designed for operations in confined and shallow waterways.
The vessel measures 25.2 meters in length and 12 meters in beam, with a maximum draught of 4.2 meters, ahead bollard pull exceeding 50 tonnes and a maximum speed of 12 knots. It is also equipped with FiFi-1 firefighting capability and accommodation for six crew members.
Sanmar's engagement with VTC dates back to 2003, when the shipbuilder supplied three twin-screw tugs, SANMAR XII, SANMAR XIII and SANMAR XIV.
A fourth tug, TICHA, based on Robert Allan's RApport 1600SX design, followed in 2018.
"We have been working with VTC since the very beginning of its operations in 2003, and we are proud of the relationship we have built over more than two decades. The delivery of KASTRITSI marks another important step in our cooperation, and we are delighted to see her join the VTC fleet in Varna," said Cem Seven, Chairman of Sanmar Shipyards.
VTC provides harbour towage and marine services in the Bulgarian ports of Varna and Balchik, including vessel assistance, berthing and unberthing, coastal and offshore towage, and emergency response.
