Mammoet Moves Two 430-Ton Tugboats

July 17, 2018 - Mammoet has safely completed the transport of two tugboats weighing up to 430 tons from Island Tug and Barge’s (ITB) Annacis Island facility to the Vancouver harbor for berthing. 

The two tugs, named Island Raider and Island Regent, each  measure 78’5” long and 41’0” wide. 

Examining the transportation route identified many obstacles, including a below-grade railroad siding, three sets of railway tracks between the yard and the steep bank of the river, overhead powerlines, railway restrictions, and constraining tides. 

Mammoet worked closely with subcontractors and its client, Tidewater, to devise a logistics plan to overcome the challenges and safely load out and launch the two vessels. 

The ITB facility had no clear access to the water, so Mammoet engineers developed a solution to transport the tugs across the rail lines while maintaining adequate clearance from the powerlines.

The tugs were placed on Mammoet’s self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs) to provide precision movement within the facility’s congested footprint and a ramp was placed over the rail lines. Once the rails were cleared, 40-ft. ramps were connected to a self-ballasting barge, where a delicate roll-on operation loaded both tugs within a six-hour time limit. 

The barge then transported the tugs to the Vancouver harbor, where they were hoisted off the barge and set into the harbor for transportation to Tidewater’s shipyard for completion. 

Marc Schwartz, Tidewater maintenance and engineering manager, said that teamwork, preparation and a dedication to safety made the project a success. “This was a logistically intricate and technically challenging project,” he said. “We put together a great team, overcame a lot of obstacles and safely launched the two vessels.”