ASENAV Shipyards has started the construction of a speculative RAstar 3200-W Escort Tug of 32 meters and 80 tons of Bollard Pull

On February 28, at the ASENAV shipyards in Valdivia, the construction of an escort tugboat of 32 meters in length, 13.2 meters in beam and 80 tons of Bollard Pull began. This RAstar 3200-W model is designed by the prestigious Canadian engineering office Robert Allan Naval Architects and represents the first alliance between both companies. Given this, Heinz Pearce, general manager of the shipyard, commented “We are extremely happy to take this new step in the construction of tugboats, as it is to start working with Robert Allan office, which has a well-deserved prestige worldwide. This alliance demonstrates the confidence that there is in the industry about ASENAV since the construction also involves the prestige of the engineering office. In addition, this project gives the shipyard a great opportunity to expand its presence in other international markets.”

It is important to remember that during the second semester of 2022, ASENAV managed to sell its first speculative project, the No. 189 project tugboat "Grey", before it was finished, therefore, the shipyard's strategy gave positive results and now they are going for the second ship, but this time of a bigger size. "This time we chose this larger and more powerful design, where its maneuverability, speed and strength stand out since we observe that the market needs these ships to operate in different formats around the world" comments Germán Schacht, Business Development Manager of ASENAV S.A. "Also, we see as a great advantage building under the design of Robert Allan since it is a well-known office in the tugboat industry worldwide, and added to the high quality of our constructions, we are confident that it will be a project with great acceptance”.

The benefits of this ship compared to a port tugboat are that it is easy to navigate by towing laterally concerning the ship, maintaining adequate stability to be able to guide and contain it during the entry and exit of terminals, as well as navigation through demanding areas, among others. “It has a constant tension winch which allows the towing line to be always held with controlled strength, thus the winch picks up or releases the line automatically based on the power exerted by the towed ship. In addition, it has a fire-fighting system capable of fighting these in terminals and other ships based on 2 pitons of 1,200 m3/h each, plus, it has a misting system, which protects the tugboat (surrounds it) to allow it to approach with greater security to the fire” commented Ricardo Contreras, New Projects Manager. To achieve the above, the ship must be built with great precision and quality. Today the ship is in the stage of the steel plate cut and blocks assembly, and it is expected to be ready for delivery in April 2024.

About ASENAV

ASENAV is a leading shipyard on the Pacific coast of America dedicated to the construction of ships with a high level of engineering, standing out for its construction quality, versatility, on-time delivery and after-sales service. To date, ASENAV has successfully delivered almost 190 vessels in around 50 years of history to both national and international shipowners, belonging to aquaculture markets, ferries, offshore supply vessels, expedition cruisers, fishing and tugboats. It stands out in the constant innovation of its constructions since its foundation, having been a pioneer at the local level in the use of forefront designs in different types of ships. Today, the shipyard continues to apply state-of-the-art technologies in its constructions, such as ships with diesel-electric propulsion systems, dynamic positioning systems, and gas emissions treatment for a lower environmental impact, among others. The company's vision is to contribute to the shipping industry by providing its customers with sustainable solutions to their requirements that include cutting-edge technology to reduce environmental impact.