Port Otago has now taken receipt of the tug Arihi following acceptance trials in Turkey, Next Generation Port Otago announced in its latest e-Bulletin.
The next step is to put the 30-tonne bollard tug onto a specialized cargo ship for the 16,000 kilometer journey to Port Chalmers.
After its arrival in July, Arihi will be put to work as a vessel assist for shipping and to tow the barge Hapuka.
The 18.7 m vessel will join Port Otago’s other tugs Otago and Taiaroa, with respective bollard pulls of 58 tonnes and 68 tonnes, primarily to work with dredging operations for the port, Port Otago Chief Executive Geoff Plunket said.
“Its main purpose will be for dredging work, towing the barge Hapuka, but also as a back-up, ” Plunket said for Otago Daily Times.
In addition to barge manoeuvring, Arihi will also be available for ship assist duties and possible external charter opportunities.
Sanmar Shipyards, the tug builder, said that the vessel was completed in less than five months from date of order.
The delivery voyage will cost about $500,000, on top of the construction cost.
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