New tug boats featuring GE's 12-cylinder V228 diesel engines are currently operating in the Panama Canal, and more are on the way. One of the new boats, the Sajalices, was christened on April 19th by GE Transportation's VP of Propulsion Systems & Services, Tina Donikowski.
"It was a huge honor to be chosen to christen the Sajalices," said Donikowski. "I was not aware that only a woman can christen a boat, and she is known as the 'Godmother' of that vessel. The operators and crew were very excited to receive the new tug, and they are quite pleased with the performance of the GE engine."
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Sajalices marks the fifth of 13 tugs that were ordered in 2008 by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP). The tugs were designed by Robert Allan Ltd. in Vancouver, and built by Cheoy Lee shipyard in Hong Kong. Two additional tugs will also be delivered from SIMA shipyard in Peru later this year. Each boat uses two GE V228 engines.