25 Issues 25 Years
January 18, 2023
by Derek Noon
This is our 25th issue of RAindrops and although the first issue was in 2011, we thought it would be interesting to look at what we were doing as a company 25 years ago.
In 1997, the company consisted of approximately 14 employees including Robert Allan, Ken Harford, Hans Muhlert, Jamie McCarthy, Derek Noon, Jim Hyslop and Grant Brandlmayr. Offices were located on the corner of West Second Avenue and Fir Street in Vancouver, about half a block from the current location.
It was a time of expansion, with a couple of new employees welcomed to the team in 1997; Xuhui (Bill) Hu and Oscar Lisagor.
Xuhui (Bill) Hu, P.Eng.
Dr. Oscar Lisagor, P.Eng.
Enquiries in that year included tugs, barges, patrol boats but this one stood out: “Proposed barge conversion to FLUPSY Service”. FLUPSY is FLoating UPweller SYstem and is used in shellfish aquaculture, the enquiry did not proceed beyond some sketches.
1997 vessel designs included:
TRAktor 4200-V Ajax, the first VSP escort tug designed for Østensjø Rederi AS and built at Astilleros Zamakona. Ajax is fitted with Voith Schneider propellers, has an LOA of 41.6 m with 90 tonnes bollard pull, and operates in Norway.
A 24 m long, 35 tonnes bollard pull azimuthing stern drive tug for Sulnorte Servicos Maritimos Ltda. Eleven of these designs were eventually built and currently operate throughout Brazil.
A 25 m twin-screw tug design that became Sanmar’s Doğançay series. 26 were built with the last, Doğançay XXVI, delivered in 2014. Currently the vessels are located (according to AIS) in many parts of the globe including Turkey, Greece, Georgia, UAE, Morocco, Martinique, Gabon and in the port of Berbara in the Gulf of Aden.
A 21 m, 30 tonne bollard pull twin screw tug design for Uzmar. Two were built in 1998/1999 and named Alsancak and Yenikale (now Wyestrom). Alsancak currently operates in Turkey and Wyestrom in the UK.
A 21 metre, 30 tonne bollard pull twin screw tug design for Yardimci Shipping Group. Seven were built between 1998 and 2008. Two are currently located in Turkey, three in Venezuela and two in the Seychelles.