Turkish shipbuilder Sanmar Shipyards has delivered a new harbour tug to Bulgarian operator VTC S.A., MarineLink reported on 30 October 2026. The vessel, handed over at the conclusion of construction, will operate under the name KASTRITSI and join VTC's fleet at the Black Sea port of Varna.
The handover continues a long commercial relationship between the builder and the Bulgarian company. Sanmar has now supplied five vessels to VTC S.A. since the partnership began in 2003, underlining a sustained procurement pattern that spans more than two decades.
Named KASTRITSI by her new owner, the tug is described in the report as intended for harbour duties at Varna. VTC has registered the vessel into its operational roster for the Black Sea port where it conducts port towage and related services.
Fifth vessel in a long-running link
The delivery marks the fifth Sanmar-built unit acquired by VTC S.A. since 2003. MarineLink’s item situates the latest handover within that sequence and identifies the Turkish yard as the supplier responsible for the newest addition to VTC’s fleet.
Sanmar Shipyards has been active in the global harbour and escort tug market for many years, and the firm’s work for VTC joins previous contracts placed by the Bulgarian operator. The continuity of orders suggests a repeat-customer relationship but no further contractual specifics or technical details of the newly delivered tug were published in the report.
Deployment to Varna
According to the report, KASTRITSI is expected to enter service at Varna, where she will join VTC’s existing towage units. The handover was presented as a delivery rather than a trial or charter, indicating ownership transfer and operational assignment to the Bulgarian operator.
Both Sanmar and VTC S.A. were identified by name in the item published on 30 October 2026; no statements or comments from company representatives were included in the summary provided. The report does not supply additional specifications for KASTRITSI nor does it list earlier vessels in the five-ship sequence beyond noting the partnership’s start year of 2003.
The arrival of KASTRITSI at Varna will expand the immediate fleet available to VTC for port towage on the Black Sea. The report confines itself to the facts of delivery, renaming and intended port assignment and leaves broader operational or market implications unaddressed.
In reporting the handover, MarineLink supplied the principal facts: the builder (Sanmar Shipyards), the recipient (VTC S.A.), the new name (KASTRITSI), the port of assignment (Varna) and the historical note that this is the fifth vessel delivered under the relationship that began in 2003. No further imagery, technical data or detailed company commentary was included in the supplied summary.