Dunlap Towing News

Washington State Ferries' (WSF) Jumbo Mark II class ferry Wenatchee, the largest in the WSF fleet, entered drydock at Everett Ship Repair, LLC (ESR) on November 10.The vessel is 460’ x 90’ with a docking displacement of 4675 LT. ESR’s drydock, the Faithful Servant has underwent improvements to expand its capabilities, and can now service vessels up to 460’ x 100’ with drafts up to 32’, including all of WSF fleet.The docking evolution started with moving the Faithful Servant drydock…

Network Innovations and its inland waterways connectivity solution eliminates “dead spot” coverage woes. And, not a moment too soon.The bane of inland operators – or at least one of many – has always been the dearth of reliable and economical vessel-to-shore communications. Even in America’s heartland where cellular coverage is routinely billed as seamless, so-called ‘dead spots’ persist. Sometimes, this happens at the worst possible moment for an operator who has myriad far flung assets on dozens of remote inland waterways. For a long time, satellite service has not been deemed economically feasible for inland operators. Beyond that, unlike blue water deep sea operators, there was little need to download data or employ software solutions in every day operations.

Mobile satellite communications company Inmarsat said it has partnered with satellite communications provider Network Innovations and maritime transportation provider Dunlap Towing to install Fleet One across its fleet of 12 vessels. For Dunlap, the Dutch Harbor and Pacific Coast routes in Alaskan waters have traditionally been challenging and its existing service did not offer the reliability required to transmit important operating and safety reports, communicate back to shore or make critical inter-fleet voice calls, according to Inmarsat.

Every month Eastern Car Liner (ECL) loads aerospace containers for transport back to Japan to be reloaded with new airplane parts. Typically, this is the only cargo loaded on this vessel at the Port of Everett – until recently. This weekend, for the second time, Everett-based log supplier, Forest Marketing Enterprises, Inc. (FORMARK) will be delivering nearly 3.3 million board feet of logs to the Port of Everett to be loaded under deck of the ECL chartered ship. This shipment is the second of six total shipments for the year, of what is expected to be a multi-year business partnership. “This is a strategic partnership that will benefit jobs, commerce and natural resources in Everett and Washington State,” said Carl Wollebek, Chief Operating Officer at the Port of Everett.

Early on the morning of October 28th, the BRAtt departed Point Roberts, Washington State bound for Seattle. Captain Ron Burchett and his able crew Alan Burchett and Ben Flodquist started out in 12 to 15 knot easterly winds and a two foot chop. With Boundary Bay abeam, the winds increased to NE 20 – 25, with four foot seas on the forward quarter. The ride was lively for this 28-ft tug, but with the heavy ballasted skeg the motions were very good with just moderate spray and no green water on deck.

The area directly south of Lafayette, La., is authentic bayou country, known for Cajun culture, excellent food, unique music and, for boat lovers, the crew/supply boat capital of the world. Four boat yards in this area build these multi-engine, all- aluminum, speedy vessels, almost exclusively. Each yard turns out up to six crew/supply boats a year. In fact, three of the shipyards are located within just a few miles from each other in the tiny hamlet of Loreauville, La., a town that seems to be made up mostly of aluminum welders. That, of course, is an exaggeration, but not by much. Not every vessel delivered from these shipyards goes to work supporting the search for oil and gas…

A device that increases the efficiency of barges is gaining in popularity on the West Coast, especially for Seattle to Alaska and Southeast Alaska runs. Many people report that Hydralift skegs substantially increase the efficiency of towed barges. This results in either increased towing speed or reduced fuel consumption because the horsepower required to tow at the same speed decreases. The Lynden Companies, Alaska Railbelt Marine (ARM) and Alaska Marine Lines (AML), have several barges with Hydralift skegs and another currently under construction. They are using the barges on Seattle to Alaska runs and runs within Southeast Alaska. Western Towboat Company, Inc., which does all the towing for ARM and AML, has two gravel barges with Hydralift skegs themselves.

When Dunlap Towing of LaConner, Wash., bought the James T. Quig a couple of years ago, they renamed her the Rosario. Now the good tug is getting a lot more than a name change. The boat, built in the late 1970s or early '80's, originally had a single engine installed but she had been designed with enough beam for a twin engine installation. She has been operated with a single 900 hp main but now she will get two Cummins KTA38 main engines to be operated at 800 hp each to nearly double the boat's output to 1,600 hp. The beamy 64 x 21-ft. boat can easily handle the two engines. With the beam carried well aft, Dunlap's operations manager…