Roehrig Maritime News

Atlantic Dry Dock Corp. (Atlantic), in Jacksonville, Florida, on April 16, 2004 successfully completed a 6-week overhaul on the FRANCIS E. ROEHRIG, a 85 x 24 foot (25.9 x 7.3m) tugboat owned and operated by Roehrig Maritime, Port of New York. Comprehensive refit and repairs included changing out the two Caterpillar D-398 engines with new 3512 Caterpillar engines, a new steering system, overhauling or replacement of shafts, propellers and rudders, installation of Fernstrum keelcoolers, and other general life extension repairs.

What About Cuba? Political allegiance notwithstanding, continuing unrest and war in the energy critical Middle East continues to wreak havoc with world oil prices, with consumers around the world struggling to keep up with fast escalating gasoline prices. While (at press time) the benchmark prices for a barrel of crude have settled just under $40, the situation has spurred new exploration and production ventures, one such speculation in the Gulf of Mexico off of Cuba. According to a recent report in The Economist (June 5, 2004 edition, page 48), Spain's Repsol has moved into position a Deep Water drilling rig off of the country's northwest coast with the intention of drilling two wildcat wells in what could amount to a successful attempt to energize a failing economy.

Roehrig Maritime has purchased Tug HEIDI E. ROEHRIG, formerly the Weeks Marine Tug Matthew. The Heidi is 3300 HP, with a 105 ft. LOA, 32 ft. beam, and a 13.6 ft. draft. She has an Alman Johnson Tow Machine with 2000 ft. of 2 inch wire, and has 48,000 gallons of fuel capacity. Roehrig Maritime LLC was founded in 1990 and operates seven well maintained tugs ranging from 2400 horsepower to 6000 horsepower. The company's success has been based on an operating philosophy of providing superior customer service by combining well maintained tug boats with skilled mariners. Roehrig Maritime provides towing services along the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico.

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.