Mammoet moves 430-ton tugboats for launch

Mammoet has safely and successfully completed the transport of two tugboats (weighing up to 430 tons) from the Island Tug and Barge (ITB) Annacis Island facility to Vancouver Harbour for berthing. The Island Raider and Island Regent each measure 23.9 meters long and 12.5 meters wide.

Initial scoping of the transport route identified numerous obstacles, including a below-grade railroad siding and three sets of railway tracks between the yard and the steep bank of the river, overhead powerlines, railway restrictions, and constraining tidal conditions. Mammoet worked closely with various subcontractors and the client Tidewater to devise a logistics plan to overcome the challenges and safely load out and launch the two vessels.

As the ITB facility had no clear access to the water, Mammoet’s engineering team developed a solution to transport the tugs across the rail lines while maintaining adequate clearance to the powerlines. The tugs were placed on Mammoet’s Self-Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMTs) to provide precision movement within the facility’s congested footprint. A ramp arrangement was placed over the rail lines. Once these were cleared, 40-foot ramps were connected to a self-ballasting barge where a delicate Roll On operation occurred within a six-hour time limit to load the two tugs.

The tugs were successfully loaded within the timeframe and transported to the Vancouver Harbour where they were hoisted off the barge and placed into the Harbour for transportation to Tidewaters Shipyard for completion.

Marc Schwartz, Tidewater Maintenance and Engineering Manager, said that teamwork, preparation, and 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.”