VANDOMA

Portuguese tug VANDOMA, imo ?? /26,68m/154,89tb, 690HP/ 10nós, was built in 1944 by the Tampa and Marine Corp., Tampa. FL, according to the project 327 and handed over to U.S. ARMY CORPS to increase the floating material effort facing the WW2. In the same year of her launching she was sent to the European theater of war and made part of the naval convoy NY-118, left the east coast of the U.S. on July 23, reaching Falmouth, South West England, towed by landing ship LST-363, August 17, therefore 25 days at sea. They said that she took part in the landing of allied forces of Normandy, the famous "D-Day", the positioning maneuvers of ships sunk purposefully along the beaches, and even modules to establish concrete piers, i.e. a kind of artificial harbour.
In 1949 she was sold to the Sociedade de Representações, Lda, Lisbon, becoming the property of the APDL - Administração dos Portos do Douro e Leixões, Oporto, in 1950. After full repairs she was based at Leixões together with MONTE GRANDE and MONTALTO, both US products too.
In 70’s was transferred for JAPN – Junta Autonoma dos Portos do Norte, Viana do Castelo, in order to replace the ill-fated tug RIO VEZ tragically sunk in the Viana do Castelo bar; 1983 she was chartered to Tinita – Viana do Castelo, continuing serving that Northern Portugal port up to 2005, after a bows propeller type “Schottel”, which won a best maneuverability and traction capability, enabling it to operate so late. Near the end of the charter she returned to the port authority, now called IPTM, Viana do Castelo. Meanwhile entering in laid up at Viana do Castelo berthed to Ro/Ro terminal awaiting buyers, particularly scrappers.
After 60 years she took part in the film "Assault on the Santa Maria” as tug GIERIG, of Curacao, partially filmed on board the museum ship GIL EANNES, ex hospital ship, in the old commercial dock. The last news said that the old VANDOMA will be scrapped at Aveiro, after some attempts to convert her as a museum ship.
Seen Viana do Castelo 07/1985
Foto: Rui Amaro