Ship moving muscle

The crew operating the Syncrolift in the Walvis Bay harbour recently welcomed the replacement for the old so-called Blou Bul, a monster of a tractor that can haul ships of up to 2000 tonnes into the Syncrolift bay. The new “Blou Bul” is a Caterpillar 824H wheel dozer.
The newly acquired Blou Bul replaces the 33 year old Blou Bul purchased in 1979, when the Syncrolift was first commissioned. The Blou Bul has a pulling capacity of 2000 tons and many new features to enhance performance, reliability and operator comfort. A statement issued by Namport said it adds value to the operations at the Syncrolift. The Blou Bul was bought from Barloworld Namibia for just over N$4.5 million.
Mr Fonda Shimuafeni, Syncrolift Manager at the Namibian Ports Authority confirmed the acquisition of the new Blou Bul, stressing that it will enhance the efficiency and productivity in shifting vessels scheduled for repairs from the platform onto the repair bay and vice-versa. Shimuafeni said the key to successful operations is to have a high utilisation of the facility while at the same time investing in up to date equipment such as the new 824H wheel dozer.