A first for SAAM’s Towage Division, this unprecedented project increased the vessel’s uptime and maneuverability.
Valparaiso, December 14, 2017.- After four months of intense work at the ASENAV shipyard in Valdivia, SAAM Remolcadores Chile successfully completed an unprecedented project to replace the azimuth propulsion system on the Fardela tug.
This project, which marks a milestone for the company, is the first time such a job to replace and assemble this new system had been executed. “Our most important achievement lied in completing the project with no lost-time accidents, despite adverse weather conditions and the need to perform multiple, high-risk operations simultaneously. This accomplishment was recognized by the shipyard, the classification society and the service providers involved in the project,” commented Gustavo Castro, SAAM’s Maintenance Superintendent in charge of the conversion.
The Fardela Tug was built in 2009 at the Jiang Su Wuxi Shipyard in China, and was originally equipped with two Cummins QSK60 engines and HRP model 7000 azimuth thrusters. In order to increase the tug’s uptime and maneuverability, SAAM gave the go-ahead on the project to install the new Rolls Royce model US 205 azimuth thrusters.
The tug’s captain, Enrique Espinoza, underscored the commitment displayed by the entire crew—made up of Erik Rivera (Machine Chief), Sergio Rojas (First Machine Officer) and crew members Jonathan Ketterer, Andy Márquez, René Aburto and Jacinto Jiménez—in pulling off the project. “They took charge of the project, focusing on continuous improvement and taking on each task as a personal challenge. It was a very physically tiring, yet professionally rewarding, experience,” he explained.
Lastly, Cristián Rojas, CEO of SAAM Remolcadores Chile, remarked, “This achievement highlights the bar we have set for ourselves to modernize our equipment for safety reasons, a task that requires committed crews and work teams who are convinced of the importance of pursuing a common goal.”
As a result, the Fardela tug is now a superior vessel capable of providing services on par with the new tugs that have arrived in recent years to strengthen SAAM’s Chilean fleet of 21 vessels. The Fardela currently operates in Puerto Montt, providing services for the Chacao Channel bridge project.
