Barrington & Nobbys named in Newcastle

SVITZER’S two new TRAnsverse tugs have been officially named and blessed at a ceremony in Newcastle.

This followed their arrival in the Hunter earlier this year.

The event was attended by prominent members of Newcastle’s maritime community, including harbour master Vikkas Bangia, representatives from the Port Authority of New South Wales and Port of Newcastle, Minister for the Hunter Tim Crakenthorp and senior Svitzer executives.

Captain Bangia, Svitzer chief operations officer Kasper Karlsen, Minister Crakanthorp and Svitzer Australia managing director Videlina Georgieva delivered speeches.

Welcoming guests to Queens Wharf, Ms Georgieva spoke of the personal and professional connections of the vessels’ naming mothers — Jeanine Drummond and Svitzer Newcastle port manager Lauren Munro.

Describing Captain Drummond as a “trailblazer” and “inspiration” to the maritime industry through her career at sea and onshore, Ms Georgieva said the first vessel Captain Drummond commanded was the Barrington.

“This is the full circle in her story” she said, as Captain Drummond christened Svitzer Barrington.

Svitzer Nobby was named by Ms Munro, who Ms Georgieva commended for her “teamwork, collaboration, resilience and persistence”. Ms Munro is the first Svitzer employee to be honoured as a naming mother.

In his address, Minister Crakanthorp thanked Svitzer for its investment in Newcastle and for recognising the port as “one of the most important trading hubs in the country”.

He said it was fitting that Svitzer chose Newcastle as the stage to introduce its new transverse tug technology to the world.

The blessings followed with both naming mothers expertly breaking the bottles on the first swing, before the tugs themselves put on an impressive display of “tug ballet” on the harbour.

Before proceedings concluded, Captain Michael Kelly was invited to speak about the OSSA Bursary scholarship scheme, sharing the story of a recently sponsored cadet engineer who is now employed full-time by Strait Link. Ms Georgieva invited Captain Kelly to speak as Svitzer is to donate to support the initiative, a concept which is currently funded through individual contributions.

The ceremony then concluded with live music, drinks and canapés, as guests celebrated against the backdrop of Newcastle Harbour.