Successful tugboat replacement at Port of Hirtshals:
Sibba has gotten off to a great start, and Tybring gets a new owner.
Port of Hirtshals' new tugboat, Sibba, is already fully engaged in assisting ferries safely to and from the dock, and there is great satisfaction from one of the port's largest customers, Color Line, with both the larger and stronger tugboat. At the same time, there has been significant interest in purchasing the old tugboat, Tybring, which will be taken over by a new Danish owner by December 1st.
Since Port of Hirtshals' new tugboat, Sibba, arrived nearly two months ago, there has been a lot of activity involving training exercises, towing, and pushing operations when ferries and other large vessels have needed to be safely maneuvered to and from the dock. The stronger the wind, the more tasks for Sibba, and the first autumn storms have already brought a lot of work for the new tugboat.
- The new tugboat was chosen precisely because it can operate in the sometimes intense wind conditions in Hirtshals. In addition, we are enhancing safety for existing and future customers, partly because the new tugboat has a bollard pull, which is the amount of tons a tugboat can pull in a standstill, of over 30 tons, which is more than twice as much as the old one, explains Robert Hansen, Master Mariner and Fleet Manager at Port of Hirtshals.
One of those who has already benefited from the powerful Sibba is Color Line, which sails between Kristiansand and Hirtshals. The ferry Superspeed 1 recently needed assistance when arriving in Hirtshals:
- I am pleasantly surprised by how efficient Sibba is. During our voyage, we had gusts of storm force from the west at over 26 meters per second. We received assistance from Sibba, and during the turning of the ferry, we did not stop despite the strong gusts. It's a significant improvement in the port's facilities, especially for us as customers, explains Helge Ås, captain of Color Line's Superspeed 1 ferry.
While Sibba is fully engaged in its tasks, there is also new life on the horizon for the old tugboat, Tybring, which has recently been sold to a Danish buyer.
- Tybring has a good size and is therefore relevant for many different purposes, and we have received quite a few inquiries from serious buyers. We are very pleased that a purchase agreement has now been reached, which means that the tugboat will have a new lease of life, says Robert Hansen.
Tybring will be handed over to the new, anonymous Danish owner by December 1st.