RT LEADER

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Course/Position

Latest news

Kotug tugs fight Thames shore-side fire

(July 15, 2014) Two of Kotug’s Thames based fleet have been involved in fighting a shore-side fire at Tilbury Docks in Essex. The Rotortugs RT Leader and RT Champion were called into action after a grain elevator belt caught fire. Four local fire appliances fought the fire from the shore while the two tugs were able to contribute to bringing the fire under control using their own fifi installation, drawing water from the River Thames. Around 20% of the 150m long and 10m wide conveyor was initially found to be alight and over an hour later the fire was reported to be contained to about 30% of the conveyor belt. It was over three hours before the fire was eventually extinguished. It is not unusual for port-based tugs to be asked to assist in shore-side fires, often able to tackle the flames from a direction out of the reach of shore based crews. The RT Leader and RT Champion each have a fifi capacity of 2,400m3/hr.

Tug reached Rotterdam with one container crane less

On Dec 19 around 4 p.m. the "RT Leader" entered the port of Rotterdam with the barge "H 332" and the two remaining 300-t-container cranes after the third got lost at Noordwijk, 35 km southeast of Ijmuiden the day before at 4 a.m. After it had been checked whether the remaining cranes were properly attached to the pontoon, the tow had been allowed to continue its voyage to Rotterdam. The tug "SD Seahorse" offered its assistance. On the Nieuwe Waterway the tow was also assisted by the tug "Buizerd". The "RT Leader" then was moored in the Waal Port(Heijplaat). In the afternoon of Dec 19 buoys were laid out at the site of the sunken crane. Dutch reports with photos and video: http://www.schuttevaer.nl/nieuws/zeevaart/nid16872-sleper-verliest-containerkraan-in-noordzee-vaarroute.html http://www.tugspotters.com/dev/index.php?itemid=42637#more

Tug lost crane

In tne morning of Dec 19, 2011, around 04.00 a.m., the "RT Leader", which had departed from Amsterdam on Dec 18 bound to Rotterdam, lost a crane of 52 metres height and 33 metres breadth about 35 km southwest of Ijmuiden in the southwestern route. The "R.T. Leader" was on the whole pulling three cranes of identical size. The cause of the loss of the crane was not yet known. The crane posed an obstacle to ship traffic. Therefore, the Dutch Coast Guard closely monitored the situation and warned ships sailing nearby. The "Ievoli Black" was sent to the site and was expected on scene at 9.00 a.m. A Coast Guard aircraft was deployed at first daylight. Later that day, Rijkswaterstaat was to place buoys to mark the site. Dutch report with photo: http://www.schuttevaer.nl/nieuws/zeevaart/nid16872-sleepboot-verliest-kraan-in-noordzee-vaarroute.html