Puerto Rico Towing News

U.S. Coast Guard air and surface rescue crews at Sector San Juan responded and assisted the distressed M/V Island Express Wednesday afternoon, after the ship started taking on water when it departed the Port of San Juan for storm avoidance in anticipation of Tropical Cyclone 9.The M/V Island Express, a Cyprus flagged 412-foot ro-ro cargo ship, and its 18-man crew is now safely moored in San Juan Harbor.Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan received a Mayday VHF radio transmission on Channel 16 from the Captain of the M/V Island Express…

A fire that broke out aboard the passenger vessel Caribbean Fantasy at 7:42 a.m. on August 17 has been extinguished, and the vessel has been moored safely in port. The Caribbean Fantasy is covered under Ardent’s OPA-90, Salvage and Marine Fire Fighting “SMFF” coverage program. Prior to Ardent operations, the U.S. Coast Guard responded to the vessel, and successfully evacuated more than 500 passengers and crew members. “We did a dive survey of the vessel at sea, found that there was minimal damage to the hull, and brought her to port with the USCG’s approval.

Designed by Jensen Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, and built by the Great Lakes Shipyard of Cleveland, Ohio a 74-foot workboat is quickly making a name for itself; in and out of the water. The “HandySize” Class Tug was designed to fill the niche between the 2,400 to 3,200 HP market for harbor workboats, fireboats, and construction operations and coastal towing, too. The Tug model 2800 is powered by two Cummins QSK38,1400HP diesel engines rated at 1800 rpm, providing a total of 2,800 HP – or in order words, just right for those niche tasks assigned to a Great Lakes workboat.

Tugs 'Triton' and 'Honcho' of the Puerto Rico Towing & Barge Co. recently assisted a drifting vessel off the coast of Puerto Rico. The cargo ship Global Destiny, owned and operated by Diavlos Maritime based in Athen, Greece, called for assistance the morning of Saturday, March 16. The vessel reported that it had run out of fuel and was drifting approximately five miles off the coast of Dorado, approximately nine miles north west of San Juan. Puerto Rico. Towing’s tug Triton came…

Cleveland’s Goodtime III arrived at Great Lakes Shipyard earlier this month to undergo drydocking and repair work. The vessel received its five-year year US Coast Guard hull and machinery inspection and had its hull repainted. Great Lakes Shipyard has performed work on the previous Cleveland-based excursion boats, Goodtime and Goodtime II. This is the first repair contract that Great Lakes Shipyard has had for Goodtime III. Goodtime III, a family owned and operated business since 1958…

Great Lakes Shipyard Performs Emergency Repairs on USCG Aids to Navigation Barge. United States Coast Guard Cutter MOBILE BAY of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin departed Great Lakes Shipyard, Cleveland, Ohio after completion of drydocking and repairs to the bow thruster on it 120-foot Aids to Navigation Barge. The barge was hauled out on Monday, September 17th using the Shipyard’s 770-ton Marine Travelift. The shipyard immediately removed the bow thruster and disassembled it in the shop for repairs.

Great Lakes Shipyard completed repairs on the Ohio Department of Natural Resources research vessel GRANDON. In late June, ODNR awarded Great Lakes Shipyard with the contract to provide repairs to the vessel, including drydocking, blasting, painting, and electrical and lighting replacements. The R/V GRANDON is part of the Fairport Harbor Fisheries Research Station for the ODNR’s Division of Wildlife. Their primary focus is assessing and managing fish populations and fisheries by taking samples, monitoring population demographics, and insuring the protection of habitats and resource integrity.

Puerto Rico Towing & Barge Co. is expanding the size of its tugboat fleet with the addition of the newly constructed Handy-Three which arrived in San Juan Thursday morning. Puerto Rico Towing & Barge Co., a subsidiary of The Great Lakes Group, is located in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and has been providing vessel assistance and towing services to commercial vessels and barges in San Juan Harbor, other Inland Ports, and ports throughout the Caribbean for over 15 years. Recently constructed at Great Lakes Shipyard, Cleveland, Ohio, the Handy-Three is now the fifth tug in the Company’s fleet.

A newly constructed tugboat, HANDY-THREE, is to be ceremoniously named at Great Lakes Shipyard, Cleveland, Ohio, on Wednesday, May 2, 2012. The tugboat has been sold to Puerto Rico Towing & Barge Co. of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, Representative of Northern Ohio’s Ninth Congressional District, will be the Sponsor and Principal Speaker for the tugboat HANDY-THREE. The vessel is the third of a class of Handy Size tugboats designed by Jensen Maritime Consultants, Seattle, Washington.

HydraTech Engineered Products of Cincinnati, Ohio has selected the Great Lakes Group and Puerto Rico Towing as exclusive distributors of Marine HydraWrap. The Great Lakes Group, located in Cleveland, Ohio, operates a full service shipyard and specializes in all types of marine repair services. Puerto Rico Towing and Barge Company located in San Juan, Puerto Rico provides towing services and vessel assistance to commercial vessels and barges throughout the Caribbean. The Marine HydraWrap is an ABS design approved carbon fiber composite repair system for pipelines, fittings and bulkheads.  www.hydratechllc.com

Bristol Harbor Group, Inc. (BHGI) was recently awarded two design jobs for two separate repeat clients from Puerto Rico. Harbor Bunkering Corporation has commissioned BHGI to design another double hull oil tank barge. BHGI has designed two barges for the San Juan bunkering business in the past. In 2004, BHGI designed the 30,000 BBLS double hull oil barge Enterprise for Harbor Bunkering Corporation, and in 2005 they designed a 60,000 BBLS barge that is still to be built. The new barge for Harbor Bunkering is to be another 30…

A contract for the Hector P., a new 4,200 hp Z-Drive harbor tug to be built by Orange Shipbuilding for South Puerto Rico Towing Corporation was signed last month. Bristol Harbor Marine Design assisted in the harbor tug contract negotiations along with the acting buyer’s agent, Eric Rivera from Harbor Bunkering Corporation of San Juan, Puerto Rico. “The HECTOR P. is going to raise the bar for tugboats in Puerto Rico,” said Mr. Rivera. BHMD will also be serving as owner’s representative throughout the duration of the project and will be responsible for project inspections and approvals. Design of the new vessel is being completed at Robert Allan, Ltd. of Vancouver, B.C.

The Great Lakes Towing Company is celebrating its 100th anniversary providing tugboat services in the port of Detroit. The company's founding shareholders include many of the nation's great industrialists, including John D. Rockefeller and James R. Sinclair. In continuous business for 100 years, it has been a significant marine operations link in one of the major economic lifelines of North America. The company owns and operates more than 50 tugboats. In fact, it is the largest U.S-flag tugboat company engaged in towing on the Great Lakes. Four tugboats - Wyoming, Wisconsin, Vermont and Pennsylvania - are assigned to harbor towing services in Detroit, with additional tugs coming from Toledo available to meet surges and emergency needs.

Inc. for the U.S. Army. go out to the victims ravaged by these disasters. have a direct impact on any of our four shipyards. Rita did not spare our Orange employees from loss and damage. but did not receive any water damage. not damaged. be covered by our insurance program. and subcontractors' abilities to supply us with necessary goods and services. additional cost that will result from these hurricanes. facilities. fully operational at all of our facilities. qualified welders, fitters, supervisors and project management personnel. Rico Towing Corporation and the 16th ST Tug for the U.S. Army. expect any significant impact on these jobs from Hurricane Rita. additions, our current backlog is approximately $40 million. Additionally Conrad commented "We appreciate the U.S. "ST916".

Inc. for the U.S. Army. go out to the victims ravaged by these disasters. have a direct impact on any of our four shipyards. Rita did not spare our Orange employees from loss and damage. but did not receive any water damage. not damaged. be covered by our insurance program. and subcontractors' abilities to supply us with necessary goods and services. additional cost that will result from these hurricanes. facilities. fully operational at all of our facilities. Rico Towing Corporation and the 16th ST Tug for the U.S. Army. expect any significant impact on these jobs from Hurricane Rita. additions, our current backlog is approximately $40 million. Additionally Conrad commented "We appreciate the U.S. "ST916". Industries to U.S. Government Agencies over the past thirty years.