now seven tugboats, the oldest of them (H-
4, H-5 & H-7) were built between 1979–81,
and younger were introduced into service in
1990s (last vessel in 1993). According to the
original plans it was assumed that the final
replacement will be done in two phases, in each
one was planned a purchase of three vessels
(1st part till 2018, 2nd till 2015). Finally, the
decision-makers rightly decided that the whole
programme will be done at one time to reduce
costs. Most likely we will get to know a winner
even in this year, and the entire contract will be
realised during five years from the award date
A tender for purchasing the tugboats shows
simultaneously how poor idea are so called
"technical dialogues". In the theory they were
to facilitate a purchase procedure by previous
clash of the requirements with possibilities of the
industry. And how it turns out to be in practice?
Despite realising a dialogue in the requirements
one can find a record in relation to which a
subject applying for an order had to provide
a documentation confirming that he built at least
one tugboat worth $5 million during the last five
years to the deadline of submitting the requests.
This notice practically excluded
all Polish shipyards from applying for a such kind
of the order (unless to a role of the tugboat would
be degraded all the offshore supply vessels).
From the dialogue participants on the battlefield
would practically remain only the Dutch Damen
company. Fortunately, someone noticed this
mistake and an appropriate correction was
made – a new notice says that a subject
applying for an order had to boast of providing
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