VESSEL REVIEW | IH Blue Marlin – India's Industrial Handling adds ASD tug to port services fleet
Indian marine services provider Industrial Handling (IHPL) took delivery of the new ASD tug IH Blue Marlin on July 13, 2026, following construction by Cochin Shipyard’s (CSL) wholly owned subsidiary Hooghly Cochin Shipyard (Hooghly CSL) and completion of sea and bollard pull trials.
The tug was designed by Canadian naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd in compliance with Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) class rules, including those rules under the “Indian coastal vessel” and “AGNI 1 firefighting” notations (the latter denotes a maximum firefighting discharge capacity of 2,400 cubic metres per hour).
Also outfitted for emergency response
IHPL said IH Blue Marlin is the first in a new series of four ASD tugs to be built by Hooghly CSL.
As with other vessels in the IHPL fleet, she will take on towing, pushing, ship handling, salvage and emergency response support, primarily in and around ports in eastern India.
Manoeuvrable platform suitable for port waters
IH Blue Marlin is of IRS grade A steel construction and has an LOA of 28.4 metres (93.2 feet), a moulded beam of 11.8 metres (38.7 feet), a mean moulded draught of 4.2 metres (14 feet), a deadweight of 161, and a gross tonnage of 422.
The propulsion setup consists of two IHI Power Systems main diesel engines driving the tug’s twin azimuthing drives, providing enhanced manoeuvrability in port. This arrangement can also deliver a bollard pull of 40 tonnes at 90 per cent MCR.
The deck equipment meanwhile includes a winch, a capstan, a towing hook, a crane, and a dedicated davit for use with an embarked rescue boat. Two firefighting monitors are mounted just forward of the wheelhouse.
The introduction of IH Blue Marlin is part of CSL’s newbuilding programme that includes RAL-designed tugs. Ocean Sparkle, a tug recently delivered by CSL subsidiary Udupi Cochin Shipyard to another local operator, was also designed by RAL but with slightly greater dimensions and bollard pull.
