KOTUG TO OPERATE
FORTESCUE TUGS
Kotug Australia has won
the contract to operate
the tug fleet for Pilbara
Marine/Fortescue Metals
Group in Port Hedland,
WA.
The fleet will consist of
six Fortescue-owned ART
85-32W tugs (currently
under construction), and
three Kotug-owned tugs,
which will be chartered
directly to Fortescue.
Kotug has appointed
Westug to manage the
local Pilbara operations.
Under the operating
model, Westug has
delegated authority
from Kotug to manage
operations of the tug
fleet and crews to the
satisfaction of Pilbara
Marine. Kotug says
this arrangement
“will leverage from
the highest health,
safety, environmental
and quality standards,
operational performance,
and world-renownedtraining to provide greater
flexibility, cost effi ciency
and exceptional service
delivery for Fortescue and
Port Hedland.”
“Kotug believes that
this unique combination
of local Australian
knowledge and worldwide
operational experience
is not only vital to
providing a reliable, safe
and long-term solution
to Fortescue’s and Port
Hedland’s terminal service
vessel requirements,
but will be a resource to
Fortescue’s terminals, in
any marine endeavour
that it chooses to embark
on in the future,” said
Kotug CEO, Ard-Jan
Kooren.
Kotug’s services in the
Australian region include
16 (15 Rotortug) infield
support vessels.
They serve BHP,
Australian Maritime
Safety Authority, Shell
and ConocoPhillips.Patrol boat targets
after dark poachers
A new high-speed
compliance patrol vessel
equipped with night
detection capability has
joined efforts to protect the
Great Barrier Reef.
Joining vessels of similar
capabilities in Cairns and
Gladstone (Jakarra and
Karamea), the 11.5m Naiad-
designed Reef Sentinel is
based at Magnetic Island and
patrols between Cardwell
and The Whitsundays,
focusing on illegal offshore
fi shing hotspots like the
Bandjin Reefs, Faraday Reef,
Stanley Reef and Wilson
Shoal.
Great Barrier Reef Marine
Park Authority compliance
fi eld operations manager
Chris Cochrane said patrols
would target areas where
recreational fi shers were
known to be intentionally
and consistently offending.
“While most people out
in the marine parks aredoing the right thing and
following the zoning rules,
some fi shers believe they
can poach at night from
green zones and won’t get
detected,” Cochrane said.
“This high-speed patrol
vessel is designed to target
intentional green zone
poaching, including at night
at offshore reef areas where
offenders believe they can
slip under the radar and
avoid detection.”
With twin 350hp four-
stroke outboard motors, Reef
Sentinel can cover larger
distances quickly – top speed
is believed to be in excess of
40kts.
“Over-the-horizon radar
capability can locate and
track small vessels day or
night, which will be very
useful in locating fi shers in
green zones who turn off
their lights to avoid being
caught,” Cochrane added.As Trade-a-Boat celebrates
its 500th issue, it trails
slightly behind well-known
Sydney-based design firm
Incat Crowther: the 500th
vessel to its design was
completed last year.
Incat Crowther CEO Brett
Crowther said: “To have
successfully designed 500
large commercial vessels is
no accident. Incat Crowther
will continue to invest in our
people and process to deliver
innovative yet practical
technical solutions to our
operators and shipbuilding
partners.”
The 27m catamaran
passenger ferry was
built in the US by long-
standing shipbuilding
partner Gladding-Hearn
Shipbuilding for the
Massachusetts Bay Transit
Authority. It has capacity for
150 passengers and has a
THE 500 CLUB top speed of 30kts.236 tradeaboat.com.au
commercial news