Mv HT Cutlass
ex Dextrous, Cobham
Dextrous – © Ted Ingham
Voith Water Tractor tug unit built in 1984 for Dover Harbour Board by McTay Marine Ltd, of Bromborough (Yard No. 53).
Technical Data
- Original cost: £1.5m
- Length: 30.10m (overall), 27.67m (between perpendiculars)
- Breadth: 9.22m (extreme), 9.01m (moulded)
- Depth: 3.81m
- Draught: 3.231m
- Tonnage: 287 gross, 86 net, 115 deadweight
- Engines: Two GEC Ruston 6 RKCM diesel engines, each developing 1400 bhp and driving size 26G11/165 Voith-Schneider propellers.
- Power: 2674bhp/1967kW
- Bollard pull: ahead 32 metric tonnes
Bollard pull: astern N/A metric tonnes
Winch Fwd: K & L Marine towing winch fitted with 1 drum
Deck equipment: K & L Marine Ltd towing winch fitted with 1 drum.
100m x 48mm HMPE Steelite + 3 x 20m x 48mm Steelite HMPE pennants. 8 x instantaneous handlines 2.1/2″ connections: 15 x 60′ hoses - Speed: 10 knots (service), 12 knots (max)
- Call Sign: MDKC3, YYV5057
- IMO Number: 8316039
- Official Number: 702607
- Registry: Dover/UK 🇬🇧, London/UK 🇬🇧, Venezuela 🇻🇪
- Sister Vessel: Deft (52)
History
Dextrous –
April 17th 1984: Launched. The fender system was designed for the particular requirement of berthing the various types of cross-Channel ferry at Dover.
July 1984: Delivered to DHB – Dover Harbour Board at Dover.
Dextrous – © Mike Sartin
October 12th 1984 (week of): Officially named in the tug haven at Dover western docks.
Dover Ferry Photos Archive
Dextrous – © Brian Fisher
Dextrous – © Mike Jackson, Ken Larwood & Mike Sartin (as noted)
May 30th 2000: Sold to Howard Smith Towage Ltd at London and renamed COBHAM
Cobham – © Capt Jan Melchers
Cobham – Photoship
Cobham – © Ken Larwood
June 8th 2001: To Adsteam Towage.
Cobham – © John Jones (both)
Cobham – © Capt Jan Melchers
January 28th 2002: Transferred to Adsteam UK Gravesend
April 2007: Owners Svitzer UK Ltd.
May 2007: Transferred to Humber Tugs Ltd, Hull, renamed HT CUTLASS.
HT Cutlass – © Ashley Hunn
HT Cutlass – 🆕 Dave Calvert (All)
2007: Registered Owner; Svitzer Towage Ltd, Hull
HT Cutlass – © Howard Pulling
2008: In service. Registered Manager; Svitzer Marine Ltd, Middlesbrough.
HT Cutlass – © Patrick Hill
HT Cutlass – © Simonwp (Hull 16/07/2008)
June 2013: “Both tugs have now been sold to Zulia Towing of Maracaibo, Venezuela & will cross the Atlantic aboard a heavy-lift ship.”
July 23rd 2013: At Avonmouth, loaded onto Heavy Lift Ship HHL VENICE.
HHL Venice – © Chris Jones (Channel Images)
July 25th 2013: Sailed to Venezuela.
August 2013: Transferred to Venezuela, under the auspices of Svitzer Americas.
HT Cutlass – © Yevgeniy B (Shipspotting)(Puerto Cabello, Venezuela February/March 2015
All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for errors and omissions. We would like to thank: Dave Calvert, Brian Fisher, Ted Ingham, John Jones, Capt Jan Melchers, Patrick Hill, Ashley Hunn, Ken Larwood, Howard Pulling, Simonwp and Yevgeniy B (Shipspotting) for their assistance in producing this feature.
Special thanks to Chris Jones (Channel Images)
Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)
