The Norwegian flag now flies on board

Text and photo: Sveinung W. Jensen, Tellus Kommunikasjon

Heavy engines hummed as Farmar Ares sailed into Farsund last week. After her arrival, the Norwegian flag was raised, and the name was painted on the hull – both at the bow and stern. With that, Farmar’s newly acquired powerhouse is officially Norwegian.

“We’ve also added the company’s funnel mark,” says Tommy Lian, Fleet Manager at Farmar.

THE HULL WILL be painted in Farmar’s colours when the tug enters drydock for reclassification in January.

“The biggest job is replacing all the signs on board. Everything was in Spanish, and not many of us understand it. We’ve finished the signage on deck. Now it’s the engine room left,” says Lian.

Earlier this month, CEO John W. Nilsen attended a meeting in Oslo and signed all the papers with the seller, the Spanish shipping company Remolques Unidos.

THIS WEEK, DNV and the Norwegian Maritime Authority will come on board and hopefully grant Farmar Ares all the necessary approvals.

“It’s a major milestone for us to have the vessel physically in place, named, and registered under the Norwegian flag. Now we’re one step closer to putting her into service,” says Nilsen.

Farmar Ares is the latest addition to a steadily growing fleet and marks a strategic move into international towing operations.

Built in 2016, the vessel has barely tasted saltwater. With just 3,000 hours on the propellers, she has seen the same usage in total as the rest of the fleet logs in a single year.

THE VESSEL HAS primarily operated in calm harbour service, despite being originally built for tough, ocean-going assignments.

"This vessel has the capacity to tow across the Atlantic. There aren’t many tugs in this class that can boast that,” Nilsen emphasises.

He explains that Farmar deliberately sought out a vessel that exceeds the ordinary.

“We operate differently from those focused solely on harbour towing. For us, large winches and high wire capacity are crucial to carry out complex tows around the globe.”

FARMAR ARES stretches 31.5 metres from bow to stern and measures 11.2 metres across. Below deck is a powerhouse consisting of two Caterpillar 3516C engines, each delivering a solid 2,350 kW.

Equipped with double-drum winches fore and aft, and featuring an open deck area of 150 square metres, the vessel is rigged for heavy-duty operations. With a fuel tank of 301 cubic metres, she has an impressive range of 40 days at economical speed – an endurance few can match.

ALTHOUGH THE TUG is smaller than her big sister Farmar Arion, she surpasses her in raw power – delivering 91 tonnes of bollard pull compared to Arion’s 87. And as expected, she is built to meet offshore requirements under the GOMO standard – a rarity among Norwegian players in this segment.

“She has two more cabins than is normal for a vessel of this size. That allows us to bring an extra navigator and meet the GOMO requirements, which is absolutely essential for many offshore assignments,” says Nilsen.

FARMAR ARES is also classified for escort service, FFI operations, and oil spill response, and comes equipped with all necessary gear for pollution control, including oil booms and skimmers.

“Everything is in place for this to become a key vessel in our continued growth. We have high expectations and look forward to putting her into active service,” Nilsen says with a smile.