Targe Towing has taken delivery of new azimuth stern drive (ASD) harbour tug Montrose to expand its fleet operating in the UK, as demand rises for handling larger ships in terminals.
Uzmar Shipyard in Turkey built this 32-m tug for the subsidiary of Forth Ports with additional deck machinery and a FiFi1 firefighting system to Robert Allan Ltd’s RAstar 3200W design.
Targe Towing commercial director, Alasdair Smith, said the tug has a high bollard pull and is designed for offshore, terminal, harbour and escort operations.
It is equipped for coastal towage and provides “the versatility required across a wide range of demanding marine environments,” he said at Riviera’s 28th International Tug & Salvage Convention, Exhibition & Awards being held in Gothenburg, Sweden, in association with Caterpillar, 19-21 May 2026.
According to automatic identification system information, this 2026-built tug, with a beam of 13 m, was in Great Yarmouth, in eastern England, on 20 May.
Montrose has equipment for emergency response, including fighting fires and rescuing personnel at sea, and has various machinery on its forward and aft decks for a variety of ship handling and escort operations.
“It is equipped for supporting the UK’s growing requirements for this type of capability,” said Mr Smith.
Montrose has two mtu Series 4000 MO5 diesel engines from Rolls-Royce Solutions, with exhaust aftertreatment to reduce NOx emissions and to comply with IMO Tier III standards.
Its propulsion comes from two Kongsberg Maritime azimuth thrusters on the stern, while it has two Caterpillar-supplied gensets to provide energy to the accommodation and deck machinery.
Targe requested additional equipment for its diverse operational requirements, including the double-drum escort winch on the forward deck, plus a towing winch, two tugger winches, a tow hook, tow pins, a stern roller, a deck crane and a launch and recovery unit for a davit rescue boat, according to a Uzxmar representative.
Its wheelhouse includes a Furuno integrated navigation and control suite, including radar, electronic chart system and a global maritime distress and safety system for area A3.
Targe owns 12 other harbour and terminal tugs ranging from 30 to 120 tonnes of bollard pull, from 22 m to 44 m in length, plus a crew transfer vessel, two small conventional multipurpose line handlers, and a workboat at the Hound Point terminal in Scotland.