Chesapeake Shipbuilding Corp of Salisbury, MD delivered the second of six new tugboats to Vane Brothers of Baltimore, Md. this week. Elk River will join Sassafras, the first tug that Chesapeake built for Vane Brothers, in hauling 30,000 barrel tank barges on near coastal routes. Construction is already well underway on the remaining four tugs, each of which will be delivered over the next year and a half.
Elk River produces 3,000 hp with twin Caterpillar 3512 main engines through 6:1 reverse reduction gears to conventional shafts. It is equipped with a single drum hydraulic winch from JonRie of New Jersey and has accommodations for seven crew members. Elk River is 94 ft long with a 32-ft beam, and a 13-ft depth.
Chesapeake Shipbuilding built Elk River in a controlled indoor environment, in one of their new hull fabrication buildings. The tug was then rolled out to the launch way where it was side launched into the Wicomico River. Chesapeake has upgraded its facility greatly in recent years to increase its production capacity and efficiency.
Chesapeake Shipbuilding designs and builds steel commercial and industrial vessels between 90 and 300 ft. The yard has upgraded its production capacity significantly in recent years, by building two new hull fabrication buildings and investing in automated equipment.