Anglian Sovereign

The Sovereign is a large sea-going tugboat owned and operated by Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V.

Union Sovereign at Scalloway in 2008
History
Belgium
Name	Union Sovereign
Owner	Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V
Operator	Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V
Port of registry	Antwerp
Yard number	wa
Christened	27 August 2003
Homeport	Antwerp
Identification	IMO number: 9262742[1] MMSI number: 205644000[1] Call sign: ORQW[1]
Status	Active
General characteristics
Tonnage	2,258 GT[2]
Length	67.4 metres (221 ft)[2]
Beam	15.5 metres (51 ft)[2]
Draught	6.2 metres (20 ft)[2]
Installed power	2 × Wärtsilä 16V32LND, 16,400 horsepower (12,200 kW) total[2]
Speed	17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph)[2]
Notes	Bollard pull 180 tonnes[2]

The vessel is powered by conventional propulsion and was built as a multi-purpose anchor handling tug supply vessel.[3] It was christened on 27 August 2003 as Anglian Sovereign.[2] The vessel was part of the fleet of Emergency Towing Vessels that operated on behalf of the UK's Maritime and Coastguard Agency.[4]

On 3 September 2005, Union Sovereign ran aground off Oxna island in the Scalloway Islands while conducting hydrographic surveys. No injuries occurred but the vessel lost approximately 84 tonnes of gas oil and was severely damaged. A 2006 official report found that the shipmaster's consumption of alcohol and several other negligences on board had been the cause of the incident.[3]

In 2007, ownership transferred to JP Knight, which purchased the initial owner, Klyne Tugs of Lowestoft.[5]