Portland Harbour Authority has invested in a new tugboat to support the growing business at the port. Currently working in Turkey, the new vessel will be going into dry dock in this month to be painted in her new company colours before arriving in Portland in early April.
With space tight and time short to prepare a berth for the 287T tug, we were asked to design a bespoke solution. To accommodate the new vessel within the existing operational pontoons, and factor in its higher freeboard we’re manufacturing a unique 21.5m heavy duty pontoon with a tailor made 750mm freeboard.
“We are pleased with our existing Inland and Coastal harbour workboat pontoons. I was confident their practical, design engineering skills would solve our new tugboat berth requirement in a tight corner of the harbour,” says Alex Hayes, General Manager Dryside.
“Within no time at all they had worked out how to make it fit and resolved connecting into existing pontoons and access ways at different levels.”
Benefitting from the new pontoon’s Glass Reinforced Fibre (Work Surface) decking, the new tugboat’s crew will have a durable, anti-slip surface to board the tug from, ensuring safe access all year round, whatever the weather.
With the solution found and the design agreed, we’re now working closely with the Portland Port Authority to install the new berthing facility ready for its new tugboat’s arrival.
