The tug is called “Elad”, it
is a sister-tug of the “Ilan 1” and is even more powerful and has, as appears from the results of its sea trials, bollard pull power of 75 tons. Additional mechanical and technological
improvements have been incorporated into the vessel.
The Tug is named after the late Elad Ram, the son of Atzmon Ram who was the Senior Tug Captain of Haifa Port, and who retired in 2000. Elad, an IDF fighter, was killed in 2006 during the Second Lebanon War.
The Tug entered the Port escorted by three of its sister-tugs who sounded their sirens and operated their water hoses in its honor as is customary in traditional maritime ceremonies. When the “Elad” becomes fully operational in about a month’s time, the Haifa Port Tug Fleet will enable giant ships to dock at the Carmel Terminal, speedily and safely, this following the recent period when the Port had been assisted in facilitating the docking in the Port of the giant ships of the major worldwide shipping alliance, the 2M, by a tug that is used for the docking of coal ships at the Hadera Power Station.
Mendy Zaltzman, the CEO of Haifa Port Company:
“This constitutes a very significant power addition to the Maritime Division of Haifa Port. I am grateful to all those who have helped us in bringing such an advanced and qualitative Tug to Haifa in a short period of time and with excellent timing from our point of view, coinciding with the start of operation of the 2M Line. We have foreseen the future and have made long term calculations, the result being that currently we are in possession of two big and powerful tugs for use with giant ships. A big vote of thanks to the Haifa Port procurement personnel, and to those in the Maritime Department, as well as to Omri Dagol and the people from Dockport Company who have been with us all the way”.
Tamir Michaeli, Haifa Port Senior pilot at Haifa Port: “One must understand that to bring in a giant ship of upwards of 120 thousand tons into a dock in Haifa Port requires Tugs with immense power. As we have expectations for the future we have succeeded in acquiring these powerful Tugs which enable all this to be done. When the task is to bring in such gigantic ships of such mass that they have no independent maneuvering capability, to obtain a Tug like the “Elad” which has arrived, this is great news”.
Omri Dagol, CEO of Dockport, the Project Management Company which oversaw the building of the Tug: “In conjunction with the Spanish shipyard Company Zamakona which has done exemplary work, we have made about 300 improvements in the Tug “Elad” as compared to its veteran sister-ship, the “Ilan”. The Elad is
also more powerful with an enhanced MAN Engine. We have increased the accessibility, operation and maintenance of the Tug, added compressors, and modified the structure of the funnels so that the Tug Skipper will have an improved angle of vision, and so forth”.