On January 24,  Zamakona Yards  Group delivered the VB Xerea, the second tug for Boluda Towage and Salvage, after the first delivery and sea test of the VB Xaloc tug carried out at the end of September 2016.

On this occasion, public representatives attended this event such as the Director General of the Spanish Merchant Marine, Rafael Rodríguez and José Luis García Lena, Deputy Director of the Spanish Merchant Marine. Boluda Towage and Salvage representatives also attended the event and were represented by the President Joaquín Lozano, Antonio Bordils, the CEO and José Luis Gonzalez, the General Manager for Spain; The Maritime Captain of Passages, Josu Bilbao, and ANARE, Ángel Mato, General Director also attended the tests. The delegation was received at the Zamakona Shipyards, in the port of Pasajes by its president, Pedro Garaigordobil.

The “VB Xerea” was exposed to different tests, as the first tug delivered, of power, speed, manoeuvrability, performance and electronic systems, with a magnificent behaviour in all of them.

This two vessels as the rest of this series of the ten tugboats that Boluda Towage and Salvage has commissioned Zamakona Shipyards, have been designed by the Canadian prestigious naval architecture study of Robert Allan with the aim of rendering towing service in port, sea and escort. In addition, this new generation of tugboats presents interesting innovations as the increase of its shot to fixed point up to 80 tons, mainly because the propellers are guaranteed the supply of the maximum power and without mechanical losses intermediate. The boats will be 31.57 meters long and 12.8 meters beam, with a draft of 6.5 meters and are estimated to reach a speed of 13.5 knots. Also, they incorporate the Caterpillar Mak diesel engines, with a power of 7,500 BHP, Voith propulsion and deck machinery of Ibercisa.

Zamakona shipyards will continue to progress in the construction of the remaining eight tugs, in the same terms of quality and will be delivered progressively in a period of four years.