MBT 10.14.026 ocean-going tug ms "Smit Rotterdam" (1975) - Smit Internationale

"Smit Rotterdam"

In view of the continued upscaling in shipping, where not only tankers became increasingly larger and more unwieldy, but also the construction of gigantic concrete and steel production platforms was made possible by advancing technology, and also because offshore work began to take on ever larger forms, an adaptation of the ocean-going tug fleet was necessary for towing these objects. In January 1974, Smit Internationale decided to build two super tugs, which, with their 22,000 IHP, became the strongest, operationally active ocean-going tugs in the world at that time.

The order for these two powerhouses went to B.V. Scheepswerf & Machinefabriek 'De Merwede' v/h van Vliet & Co., Hardinxveld-Giessendam. The gross tonnage of these tugs is 2273 GRT, Length overall 74.83 m, beam 15.78 m and max. draught 7.60 m. Two Stork-Werkspoor TM 410  4-stroke 9-cylinder diesel engines, each connected to a four-bladed controllable pitch propeller, delivered a power of 13,500 bhp, the installed power is 22,000 IHP.

The "Smit Rotterdam" was the first of the two to leave the slipway on 6 December 1974, after being christened by Queen Juliana. In mid-April 1975, the tug entered service with Smit, to be immediately deployed as the leading tug in the transport of the "Beryl-A" drilling and production platform of the Condeep type, weighing 350,000 tonnes, which was towed over a distance of 216 miles from Stavanger to Mobil Oil's Beryl field, in the English sector of the North Sea, together with the "Noordzee" (11,000 hp) and the Bugsier tugs "Atlantic", "Wotan" (both with a power of 12,500 hp) and the "Päcific" (10,000 hp), totalling some 42,000 hp of towing power. 

In 1986, the tug was transferred to Smit Tak International Ltd., Nassau, and in 1991, the ocean-going tugs of Smit Internationale and Wijsmuller were merged into the 'SmitWijs Towage C.V' combination, and currently the tug sails under the name "Smitwijs Rotterdam".

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