New tug boat to add to Ports of Jersey commercial operations

A new tug boat will add to Ports of Jersey's commercial operation capabilities.

The yet-to-be-named vessel has been commissioned from shipbuilders Damen Shipyards Group and will ensure the island's Marine Services Team can carry out more commercial work.

The budget of £5.4m will cover construction and marketing of its services.

It will be used alongside the Duke of Normandy, has generated £2.5m of revenue to date.

Over the last few years, and despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the Duke of Normandy spent an average of 181 days off island each year on short and long-term contracts.

The new Shoalbuster 2711 vessel is bigger and more stable than the Duke and will be able to house a bigger crane.

It will not be delivered until December 2021, but its services are already being marketed by Ports of Jersey Marine Services and Landfall Marine Contractors, a Netherlands based company that specialises in the workboat sector.