Smit Internationale N.V. (or Smit International) was a Dutch company operating in the maritime industry. It was founded in 1842 by Fop Smit as a towage company with onl 1 paddle steamer tug KINDERDIJK. Fop’s sons, Jan and Leendert, continued the company under the name L. Smit & Co and expanded the fleet. In 1870, they began using tugs with propellers. After a merger in 1923 with Internationale Sleepdienst, the name was changed to “L. Smit & Co.’s Internationale Sleepdienst”.
One of the tugs used by the Smit Harbour Towage Company was the 1976 built 31.02 metre long tug BALAU. She was built by Scheepswerf “De Hoop” BV – Hardinxveld as yard number 739 with 231 GRT and 37.5 tons bollard pull. She was managed by Smit International (Antilles) BV at Willemstad, Curacao.
She was powered by 2x 4SA 8 cylinder Stork/Werkspoor, 240×260, nrs. 70250/1 en 70250/2 each connected to a controllable propeller; 2 generators 99 kW/390 V/50 Hz with 2,370 bhp and maximum speed of 12 knots.
On 10th December, 2001 she was sold to Harms Bergung A.G.,Hamburg, Germany and renamed SALUS of which was seen twice at Malta.
During September 2013 she was sold to Forcemar Shipping & Towage Services, Istanbul, Turkey and in July 2014 her ownership changed to Aky Denizcilik ve Ticaret – Panama. In 2015 she was renamed as KADOTUG by Newport Shipping Ltd. – Moldova and in 2017 she was homeported at Malakal Harbour flying a Palau flag. Her current status is that she’s at Haydarpasa, Turkey.
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Published – Saturday 17th September, 2022