Two 22-metre, 320-tonne harbour tugs shipped from Vietnam to France

Commercial Marine Transport had the pleasure of shipping these two brand new 22-metre long, 320-tonne tug boats from Vietnam to a French port in September 2024.

Designed for use in the English Channel, Saint-Malo lock and in the outer harbour, the tugs were built at Piriou’s Vietnam facility at 22 metres long with a beam of 8.5 metres. The tugs are capable of push-pull towing operations and their secondary functions will include firefighting. They have also been installed with specialised exhaust aftertreatment systems to meet IMO Tier III NOx emission regulations and will be operated by EDEIS Ports de Saint-Malo and Cancale.

The voyage to the Port of Saint-Malo in the Brittany region of France, on board the heavy-lift vessel, MV Fairmaster, took approximately 1.5 months, departing Vietnam in July 2024.

Handling challenges / our solution

The challenge of this project for the Commercial team was, as always, to ensure these large tugs were transported safely, and to make sure both the lifting and shipping processes were handled seamlessly without causing any damage to the vessels.

The logistics team outsourced a specialised heavy-lift vessel, the MV Fairmaster, equipped with a crane and suitable space to accommodate both tugs. Although on the day of shipment the vessels’ weight proved to be lower than anticipated, the MV Fairmaster was still deemed an appropriate vessel that could handle the load and shipment of both tugs without any problems. Weight discrepancies between the expected cargo weight and actual cargo weight, tend to be a bigger deal when the actual weight is higher than the shipping team is expecting.

A standout feature of these tugs was their bespoke architectural design, which included specialised lifting lugs integrated directly into the structure of the vessels. Tug Architects, understanding the eventual need for long-distance transportation, made these tugs highly compatible with a single-point lift method. The lifting lugs allowed the vessels to be hoisted with precision, using a crane system that safely distributed the weight and reduced any potential risk to the vessel during the handling process.

The decision to integrate these lifting lugs into the manufacturing process significantly aided the loading and unloading logistics. It also minimised the risks associated with conventional multi-point lifts, which can introduce unnecessary strain or instability to the cargo.

Once securely stowed, Commercial Marine Transport ensured the tugs were fastened with industry-standard lashing techniques, suitable for the long transit to Europe.

Upon arrival at the port of St Malo in France, the unloading process mirrored the efficiency of the initial loading. The single-point lifting process was again utilised, allowing the tugs to be offloaded smoothly using the port’s crane facilities.

Leveraging their experience in maritime logistics for large-scale shipping projects, Commercial Marine Transport coordinated with the local port authorities to manage a swift and safe discharge.

Piriou entrusted Peters & May with the transportation, leveraging their experience in maritime logistics for large-scale shipping projects.

“We are very pleased to have safely shipped these two new tugs to their destined project in the Port of Saint Malo. We have to thank our wonderful team, and the close working relationships we have built over the many years with the shipyards and many ship operators, for this seamless operation.

While we ship every kind of commercial vessel, there is just something special about shipping tugs – they move what propels them, a perfect example of harmony in motion! It is also great to be part of a project that is supporting the IMO’s mission to significantly reduce emissions by 2050.”