New tugs have been delivered to owners in the US and Brazil as construction continues on vessels in India and Chile. A newly established US shipbuilder has meanwhile secured an order from a local operator.
Chilean shipbuilder Asenav has begun construction of a new escort tug.
The 32-metre vessel will utilise a design developed by Canadian naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd (RAL). Asenav said the tug is being built on a speculative basis and is scheduled to be available in the first quarter of 2028.
The new vessel will be the fourth tug Asenav has developed under this model without a prior contract with an owner, extending a strategy built around anticipating demand and shortening lead times for port operators looking to add new units to their fleets.
The company said the build also demonstrates its capacity to manage three tugs under simultaneous construction.
Sulnorte Maritime Services has taken delivery of SN Caraíva, completing a three-vessel tug construction programme at Rio Maguari Shipyard in Brazil.
The 23-metre azimuth stern drive (ASD) tug was named at the Port of Rio de Janeiro in early September. It has more than 75 tonnes of bollard pull and is intended for harbour towage involving larger ships.
Following mobilisation to Santos, SN Caraíva joined sister tug SN Cariri in assisting vessels entering the port.
“SN Caraíva was designed to offer high operational efficiency, safety in manoeuvres and robustness in operations of greater complexity,” Sulnorte said. The company said the delivery supported its plan to invest in higher-performance vessels for Brazil’s main ports.
Vancouver, Washington-based New Pacific Industrial (NP) has launched its first shipbuilding program with the construction of two 122-foot (37.2-metre) tugs for American Marine Corporation (AMC).
Designed by naval architecture and marine engineering firm Glosten, the vessels will also represent AMC's first new tug construction project as the company marks 50 years in business.
NP's facilities once formed part of historic Kaiser Shipyards, which built vessels during World War II. The site now supports modern shipbuilding and heavy industrial work along the Columbia River.
The tugs to be built will be ocean-going, line-haul vessels developed for long-distance towing and demanding offshore operations.
India's Cochin Shipyard (CSL) has begun construction of four 26-metre battery-powered tugs in a series ordered by Danish towage operator Svitzer.
The tugs will utilise a design developed by Canadian naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd (RAL).
The agreement between Svitzer and CSL calls for the construction of four firm tugs plus options for up to four additional vessels.
The tugs will be constructed to Svitzer’s specifications. All four will be deployed as part of the owner's global fleet.
Maritime Partners has taken delivery of Titan, the second escort tug in a new series ordered by the company from Master Boat Builders of Alabama.
The first tug, Marauder, was delivered in May 2026 while the remaining six are scheduled to be handed over by 2027.
Master Boat Builders President Garrett Rice said the new tugs will be capable of both escort and harbour assist duties.
Titan has a length of 88 feet (27 metres), a beam of 43 feet (13 metres), a depth of 19.5 feet (5.94 metres), and accommodation for six crewmembers.
