SIBMA Navale Italiana - Restoration of the Baltic

After nearly four years of work, the Baltic, a harbor tug launched in Norway in 1962 for Esso Petroli, has come back to life thanks to a restoration led by Mario Quaranta's Sibma Navale of Imperia. This shipyard, with over fifty years of history, already renowned across Europe for the restoration of vintage vessels and support for Dragone class sailing boats, once again demonstrates its versatility and ability to tackle significant projects like this one.

By Paolo Maccione – December 2018
Photographs by Paolo Maccione

Baltic: From Harbor Tug to Pleasure Craft

Since its launch, the Baltic has always served as a harbor tug in Oslo, working for Esso Petroli, primarily in towing and "pushing" operations. Thanks to its imposing vertical bow, it was used to move floating pontoons, a task it performed until the mid-1980s. With two ballast tanks—holding a total of 40,000 liters, positioned at the bow and stern—the Baltic could increase its draft to over 3 meters, thereby enhancing its towing power.
After this period, the tug was sold and transferred to southern England for a few years. It was then purchased by a new owner, who moved it to the Mediterranean, docking it in the French port of La Ciotat until the mid-1990s. The vessel then endured a long period of abandonment until, in 2011, a company acquired it with the goal of converting it into a pleasure craft. In 2014, the recovery project began in La Ciotat, using the original plans found among the ship’s onboard documents. This ambitious project was taken on by Mario Quaranta's Sibma Navale, and the restoration is set to be completed in 2019.

Ultrasound Hull Inspection

At the La Ciotat shipyard, a team of four Italian shipwrights commenced work on the Baltic. The first and most crucial task was to check the thickness of the steel hull plating, which consists of welded sheets with a thickness of 10 millimeters. The entire hull was tested at approximately 3,500 points using ultrasound technology to identify any deterioration. The areas most affected by oxidation, particularly around the ballast tanks, required the complete replacement of the frames and related plating. Around 60 tons of steel plates were replaced during the restoration.
In 2017, after three years of work, the Baltic was fitted with two 600-horsepower MAN engines, which transmit power to two four-bladed propellers. In February 2018, the vessel departed La Ciotat, and after a 110-mile voyage, arrived at the port of Imperia, where the installation of systems and interior fitting began near the shipyard.

Teak Interiors … and Esthec Exteriors

The interior design of the Baltic was handled by Sandro Oddone, an architect from Imperia. The layout includes two crew cabins with bathrooms located aft on the lower deck, adjacent to the galley, pantry, engine room, laundry, and workshop. On the main deck, there is a saloon, three double guest cabins, and a four-berth cabin, all with en-suite bathrooms. The full-beam master cabin is situated on the upper deck, lit by six original portholes from the vessel’s time of construction. The captain’s cabin is located near the bridge, next to the sun deck.
All ceilings are finished in white eco-leather, while soundproofing was achieved through the installation of several hundred square meters of 5-centimeter thick thermo-acoustic insulating panels. Nearly 5 cubic meters of teak wood were used for the interiors, including furniture, flooring, and paneling. The same teak was used for the external handrails, crafted from a 5-meter long trunk.
For the 235 square meters of exterior walkable surfaces, white-threaded slats of Esthec, 10 millimeters thick and 7.5 centimeters wide, were installed. Esthec is a synthetic material patented in the Netherlands, known for not heating up even under 40°C sun, being waterproof, maintenance-free, and easy to work with like wood.

On-Board Equipment

Baltic is equipped with several notable features, including:

Two 75 kW John Deere generators
Two 320 l/h watermakers
A 65 kW bow thruster
Two "Hall" type anchors with 200-meter chain lines
Three sets of gyroscopic stabilizers
An Alfa-Laval diesel purification system
A 1-ton boom crane for tenders
Two inflatable boats
Two heat pump systems for hot and cold air conditioning
A centralized inverter system that ensures 8 hours of silent operation at night while powering all utilities
Double radar
Telephony systems
Two GPS units
A satellite compass

Technical data sheet

Anno / Year: 1962
Cantiere / Shipyard: A/S Westermoen Båtbyggeri og Mek Verksted (Norvegia)
Progetto / Naval Architect: A/S Westermoen Båtbyggeri og Mek Verksted (Norvegia)
Materiale di costruzione / Material: Acciaio
Lunghezza f.t. / LOA: 26,50 mt
Larghezza / Beam: 7,50 mt
Pescaggio / Draft: 3,30 mt
Dislocamento / Displacement: 200 tonn.
Motore / Engine: 2 x 600 hp MAN Heavy Duty
Serbatoio gasolio / Fuel: 32.000 lt
Serbatoio acqua / Water: 8.500 lt
Cabine / Cabins: