Marcon Sale
Marcon International reported the sale of 121 ft., 4,400 hp twin screw tug Dauntless (ex-E.B. McNaughton) by Crowley Marine Service to Bay Towing Corp. of Norfolk, Va. Designed by Schuller & Allan of Houston; the raised foc'sle bow tug was orginally built in 1970 at Gulfport Shipbuilding Corp., or Port Arthur, Texas to tow 15,999 dwt self-discharge urea barge Hawaii for Brewer Chemical of Hilo, Hawaii. In the mid-1980s, previous to her purchase by Crowley, the tug was placed on a long-term charter by Marcon to Alaska Tug & Salvage of Anchorage towing a 300 x 90 ft. ocean container barge for Sea-Land in the Far East.
Crowley Crew Rescues Two in Hurricane
The crew of Crowley marine service tug Attentive recently came to the rescue of two sailors trapped in hurricane force winds aboard the 35 ft. sloop Adana in the Gulf of Alaska. Adana crewmembers Mike Hunt and Marnee Allison were underway from Cordova to Yukatat when 75 to 100 mph winds and rough seas forced them to take cover in Port Etches on Hinchinbrook Island. Their sailboat had been dragging anchor and was in danger of running aground when they radioed the Attentive, on station nearby for crude oil tanker escort, to assist. Attentive captain Jeff Stevenson alerted the U.S. Coast Guard of the situation, and as conditions worsened, Attentive and Adana crewmembers agreed the safest course of action was to abandon the Adana.
Owner of Salved and Salving Vessels Entitled to Salvage Award
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that a company that owns both the salved vessel and the vessel performing salvage may be entitled to share in the salvage award. In the instant case, a tug owned by the company caught fire while towing a barge in the Gulf of Alaska. The company diverted another one of its tugs to the scene. This second tug had been equipped with salvage gear. The second tug brought the first tug and the barge under tow and they eventually reached port. The crew of the second tug sued for a salvage award. In addition to resisting the suit, the company contended that it was entitled to share in any award the court might make. The trial court awarded salvage to the crew, but denied any proceeds to the company.
Marcon-Assisted Boat Sales
Blue & Gold Fleet, of San Francisco, has sold its 72 x 29 ft. all-aluminum, high-speed passenger catamaran ferry, Ohlone Spirit (ex-Alderbrook Express) to T.M.T. Corp., of Washington. The 212-passenger vessel was built in 1984 by Nichols Bros., of Freeland, Wash. to an INCAT design. It was powered by twin GM16V92Ts for a total of 1,600 hp producing a speed of 22 knots. Ohlone Spirit was most recently serving as a passenger ferry on San Francisco Bay, until its delivery. Intended service for the vessel will be as a tour/sightseeing vessel in Southeast Alaska. Also, Pacific Northwest Aggregates, Inc., has taken delivery of 250 x 76 x 16.7 ft. ocean deck barge St. John, from Crowley Marine Service. The 5,970 tdw barge was originally built in 1976 by Todd Shipyards, Inc.
Marcon International, Inc. of Coupeville, Wash., has been involved in the following recent sales and
Crowley Marine Service sold its 3,200 hp twin screw tug, Howard H, to buyers in the Caribbean. The 125 x 32 ft. tug was originally built in 1967 by Southern Shipbuilding as Gulf King and is powered by twin Fairbanks Morse diesels. Private interests in the San Francisco Bay Area have purchased model bow, single screw tug Tara C (ex-Tacoma) from Campbell Towing, Inc., Wrangell, Alaska. The 64.5 x 19.5 ft. tug was built in 1957 in Bellingham, Wash. and is powered by a single 900 hp Cooper Bessemer slow turning, direct reversing diesel. The tug is to be converted into private yacht service for the new owners after they sail her down from Southeastern Alaska.
