Nicole Leigh Reinauer News

There’s a barge full of reasons why many operators turn to ATBs.A  mainstay of the U.S. coastwise dirty and refined products trades, articulated tug barges (ATB) have increasingly filled a void left as the fleet of Jones Act tankers (with crew complement requirements exceeding that of tugs) has aged out. With the cargo capacity of the larger ATBs – some with barges exceeding 300,000 barrels capacity – rivalling that of workhorse tankers that had served oil consuming regions, the concept certainly makes sense from a supply and distribution perspective.With 50…

Alabama Shipyard has delivered another articulated tug and barge (ATB) unit to Reinauer Transportation Companies of Staten Island, N.Y. The Christian Reinauer and the RTC 143 is the second ATB unit built for Reinauer at Alabama Shipyard’s facility in Mobile. The first ATB unit, the Nicole Leigh Reinauer and the RTC 135 was delivered by Alabama Shipyard in December 1999. The 7,200 hp twin-screw ocean-going tug is 124 ft. and features the patented Intercon tug/barge coupler system designed and built by Intercontinental Engineering and Manufacturing Corporation of Kansas City, Mo. The system consists of two independently mounted gear drive ram assemblies that connect the tug and barge. The connection is transversely rigid and mechanically locked.

Atlantic Marine, Inc. has received a contract for a second state-of-the-art articulated tug and barge (ATB) vessel to be built at its Alabama Shipyard facility in Mobile, according to Dick Wells, President. This will be the second ATB to be supplied to Reinauer Transportation Companies headquartered in Staten Island, New York. "We were awarded this contract to build a second ATB for the Reinauer Transportation Companies for three reasons. First, the performance of the first ATB has been excellent, fully meeting the requirements of Reinauer's customers. Second, Alabama Shipyard has worked hard to support the first ATB to ensure that Reinauer is a fully satisfied customer.

All of the growth markets in the commercial marine marketplace have something to do with petroleum. Supply and crew/supply boats directly support drilling activity and Articulated Tug Barges (ATB) distributes crude, refined or an oil byproduct to refiners or distributors. The ATB represents a big advance in transporting these oil products over a pushboat pushing a tow of petroleum barges. Typically an ATB is one large barge with capacity from 80,000 to 160,000 barrels being pushed by a tug that fits into a notch in the barge. An advanced coupling system permits easy coupling and uncoupling of the two units. With typical barge and pushboat units, the coupling system uses winches and wire ropes to lash the barges together and also secure the barge tow to the pushboat.

Construction of Articulated Tug Barge units (ATB) continues to occupy a prominent place in the order books of several shipyards. However the pace of current building and back ordered units is not as high as the 2000-2002 period. "It looks like we are in for a little 'breather' for a while," said Allen Craft, senior vice president of Intercontinental Engineering-Manufacturing Corporation, Kansas City, Mo. The company manufactures Intercon, one of the most popular couplers between the tug and the barge, which makes the ATB concept workable. "Vessel Management Services, a division of Crowley Maritime was a major driving force in this market when they had two different yards each built two ATBs with 9,280 hp tugs and 155,000 barrel barges using our couplers," Craft said.

To say the Gulf of Mexico maritime business had a down year would be a major understatement. But rags-to-riches-to-rags experience of the past has resulted in a consolidated, resourceful group of companies poised to pounce on the next market upturn … which should be very soon. The business trends of consolidation and globalization that have largely defined the late 1990s have touched every level of business in the U.S., including the Gulf of Mexico maritime industry. Companies that had largely depended on "business as usual" are generally out of business today. The result: a resilient industrial base that is poised to prosper in good times and bad. "Business is bad right now, as the oilfield is our primary source of business," said Ralston P.

The only logical reason the sustained high price per barrel of oil has not already been dubbed "OIL BOOM 2000" is the fact that hindsight is 20/20. Companies that operate, build and supply vessels for the fickle oil patch have seen schizophrenic markets of days past bring industry goliaths to their knees. There remains a reserve among Gulf of Mexico area companies regarding prospects 2000 and beyond, but there is a growing feeling the business - which has largely been dismal since the end of 1997 - is set to embark on one of those notorious end runs that will fill area yards with healthy backlogs for years. The reason for the "look before you leap" attitude is also largely rooted in changing business dynamics which have effectively altered the way in which the world does business.

Construction of a new articulated tug and barge has begun for Reinauer Transportation Companies, Staten Island, N.Y. The 124-ft. oceangoing tug and mating 135,000 barrel capacity notched barge are scheduled to enter service along the U.S. eastern seaboard in early December 1999. Atlantic Marine Inc., Jacksonville, is building the tug, which was designed by Robert Hill of Ocean Tug & Barge Engineering, Bellingham, Mass. The vessel's mating 460 ft. double-hull barge was designed by and is being built at Alabama Shipyard, Mobile, Ala., a subsidiary of Atlantic Marine. Tug Nicole Leigh Reinauer will be powered by two Cat 3612s, each rated 4,211 bhp at 1,000 rpm. Two Lufkin 5:1 gears will drive 140-in. dia. Bird-Johnson Workhorse propellers, providing the vessel with approximately 172,000 lbs.

Alabama Shipyard, Inc. delivered Nicole Leigh Reinauer and RTC 135, an articulated tug/barge (ATB) unit, built for Reinauer Transportation Companies of New York. Alabama Shipyard designed the 135,000 barrel, 460-ft. double-hulled barge in compliance with OPA 90 regulations. Bob Hill of Ocean Tug and Barge Engineering designed the 7,200 hp twin-screw 124 ft. tug, built by Alabama Shipyard's sister company, Atlantic Marine. The ocean-going tug/barge unit features a patented Intercon tug/barge coupler system designed and built by Intercontinental Engineering and Manufacturing Corporation of Kansas City. The system consists of two independently mounted gear-driven ram assemblies which connect the tug and barge.