Tanker Escort News

A Foss Maritime harbor tug outfitted with the Sea Machines SM300 autonomy system has been verified by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). The tug, Rachael Allen, is deployed in California, where it provides tanker escort and ship assists for Foss’ customers. The vessel will first leverage the Sea Machines’ autonomy system for routine transit and stand-by operations, and then trial remote piloting from a shore-based command center. The SM300 transit autonomy and station keeping…

Foss Maritime’s newest vessel will be the first U.S.-flag harbor tug to integrate autonomous systems in real-world commercial operations.Launched on April 29 and scheduled for delivery in May 2021, the newly built 90-ton bollard pull Rachael Allen—the fourth in a series of ASD-90 Z-drive tractor tugs being built at Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, in Freeland, Wash.—will feature Sea Machines Robotics’ SM300 autonomous-command and -control system. The system's capabilities include transit autonomy…

Canadian headquartered naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd. announced that its Executive Chairman, Robert G. "Rob" Allan, has been made an Honorary Member by the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME), making him one of only 50 living individuals to enjoy this privilege. This membership is awarded to a person as result of their dedicated service to the maritime industry and the Society and is a symbol of recognition offered as a token of the high esteem in which their colleagues hold them.SNAME has previously honored Rob Allan with many accolades.

Vancouver, Wash. based Tidewater Transportation and Terminals announced Friday it has hired Johan Sperling as its new Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.Sperling will have direct oversight and responsibility for the maintenance and engineering department, vessel operations, dispatch and terminal operations. Additionally, he will work closely with Tidewater Environmental Services and Tidewater’s Canadian entity, Island Tug and Barge, to support their efforts for safe and reliable operations.

Shipbuilder PT. Graha Trisaka Industri, in Batam, Indonesia is building a pair of new TRAktor V-3200 tugs for China Petroleum Corporation (CPC), of Taiwan.The shipyard, with support from Robert Allan Ltd., was awarded the construction contract by CPC following an international bid process. A steel cutting ceremony was held for the newbuilds on April 15.Upon delivery, the custom designed tugboats will operate at the CPC liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal at Shenao in Taiwan.The TRAktor V design by Robert Allan Ltd.

The Jaime Ann, the first of four new ASD-90 tugs constructed by Nichols Brothers Boat Builders for the Saltchuk family of companies, arrived today in her new homeport of Long Beach, in California. Powerful enough to escort the largest tankers and containerships calling on ports in the U.S. West Coast, Jaime Ann will provide tanker escort and assists for Foss Maritime’s customers in the Ports of LA/Long Beach area.Along with her 6866 horsepower and 90ST bollard pull, the Jaime Ann was built to the most stringent emission standards.

Seattle-based Foss Maritime christened the new 90-ton tugboat Jamie Ann on February 29.The first of four new ASD-90 tugs under construction at Nichols Brothers Boat Builders in Freeland, Wash., the newbuild will be followed by sister vessels Sarah Averick, Leisa Florence and Rachael Allen, all scheduled to be delivered this year for service within the Saltchuk Marine family of companies.Jamie Ann’s upgrades include two MTU Tier 4 engines producing 6,866 horsepower which meet the EPA’s highest standards.

US-based Crowley Maritime Corp. announced on Wednesday that it has realigned its marine services organization and introduced new leadership.In a move that aims to provide better support to customers, Crowley Marine Services, part of the company’s shipping arm, will now be comprised of three distinct, yet interrelated business segments: offshore services, ship assist and tanker escort and engineering services – those provided by Crowley and subsidiary Jensen Maritime Consultants.Jeff Andreini…

Crowley Maritime Corp. has appointed Jonathan Zier manager of business development in Houston.Zier will assist customers globally with marine transportation projects such as sealifts and beach-landings, as well as offshore and coastal towing and installation of rigs, spars and other structures. He will also be responsible for providing solutions for alternative energy projects such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, offshore wind power generation, and other projects requiring offshore or coastal equipment and expertise.Zier will report to Johan Sperling…

On February 13, the two new RAstar 3200 escort tugs SST Grizzly and SST Orca for SAAM SMIT TOWAGE CANADA Inc. (SST Canada) were the toasts of a blessing ceremony in Vancouver Harbor.Designed by Robert Allan Ltd and built at Cheoy Lee Shipyards, these two significant additions to the SST Canada fleet were showcased to guests aboard the luxury harbor cruising vessel Pacific Yacht. Distinguished guests for the evening included local First Nations leaders, valued customers and trusted suppliers…

Jensen Maritime was recently selected to provide the design for Baydelta Maritime’s new 100-foot, Z-Drive hybrid tugboat. It will use Rolls-Royce hybrid technology and represents the first installation of a hybrid system for Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB), and the first hybrid tug designed by Jensen to enter the construction phase. Scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2019, the tug will feature the same ship assist and tanker escort capabilities of existing Valor class harbor tugs, but with multiple operational modes.

Rolls-Royce said it will supply a hybrid propulsion arrangement for installation to a multipurpose tractor tug being built for Baydelta Maritime LLC at the Nichols Brothers Boat Builders shipyard in Washington State, U.S. The 100-foot long tug is due for delivery in the first quarter of 2019, and will feature the same ship assist and tanker escort capabilities of existing Delta Class harbor tugs but with improved towing performance. Rolls-Royce said its hybrid system enhances the vessel’s escort capability…

Baydelta Maritime has ordered a new 100-foot, Z-Drive hybrid tugboat from shipbuilder Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB). Scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2019, the new tug will use Rolls-Royce hybrid technology and represents the first installation of a hybrid system for NBBB. The vessel will also be the first hybrid tug designed by Jensen Maritime to enter the construction phase. The new tug will feature the same ship assist and tanker escort capabilities of existing Valor class harbor tugs, but with multiple operational modes.

Crowley Maritime Corp. appointed four industry veterans to oversee the consolidated lines of business under the recently formed Crowley Shipping group, which provides petroleum and chemical transportation, commercial ship management, offshore energy support and ship assist and tanker escort services in the U.S. and international markets. Crowley said the new business unit structure better aligns vessel operations and services with customers, positioning the company for greater growth and efficiency under Rob Grune, senior vice president and general manager.

Rob Allan was presented with the Meritorious Achievement Award as one of the President’s Awards conferred by Engineers & Geoscientists British Columbia (EGBC) on October 20, 2017 at their Annual Award Gala held in Whistler, BC. This award is given annually to a member of the Association who has achieved distinction and outstanding goals associated with his/her profession. Allan has over 45 years of experience in the design of commercial workboats of all types, but especially high-performance tugboats for tanker escort and offshore terminal operations.

Crowley Marine Services said it will relocate the tugboat Veteran to the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach to service all vessels, including large petroleum tank vessels with deep drafts greater than 65 feet calling on Long Beach Berth 121. With a bollard pull rating of over 90 short tons, the powerful Veteran is better suited to serve the very large crude carriers (VLCCs) that are calling more regularly in Long Beach. Tesoro and the Long Beach Pilots are now requiring a tug with…

Over the last few years, as the design output from Robert Allan Ltd. to the global tugboat community began to border on the prodigious, we were often asked, “How many tugs has your company designed?” Until very recently we really did not have a good handle on that number, so the answer was usually either “a lot” or “many hundreds”, neither of which were particularly illuminating. So a search was begun late in 2016 to review our archives and try to determine the tug tally much more precisely. Would we rival Helen? Where did it all begin?

On October 28th, 2016 the Ocean Group Inc. of Quebec City, Canada took delivery of the 6000 kW ASD tug Ocean Taiga. This icebreaking escort tug joins her sister Ocean Tundra as some of the most powerful tugs in the Canadian registry, part of a new generation of extremely capable tugs, which will provide the highest degree of year-round escort towing capability to Canada’s East Coast and the St. Lawrence Seaway. The Ocean Taiga is the latest addition and a sister tug of the previously delivered Ocean Tundra to the TundRA 3600 series (with a nominal 100 tonnes Bollard Pull) of icebreaking tugs designed by Robert Allan Ltd., Naval Architects of Vancouver B.C. This tug was built to the highest standards at Ocean’s own shipyard, Ocean Industries, on Iles aux Coudres, Quebec.

Smith Berger Marine, Inc. said it has been selected by Edison Chouest Offshore to design and manufacture the Tow Pin Stern Roller units required on its nine new vessels, including five escort tugs and four docking tugs. Edison Chouest is building the new tugs in order to execute a 10-year Ship Escort-Response Vessel System (SERVS) contract with the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, for which the tugs will provide tanker escort and spill response services in Prince William Sound. The Tow Pin unit has the capacity to sustain 250 tons of line tension and features three individually raised and lowered towing pins, one hold down hook and a 14” diameter stern roller.

Harley Marine Services announced the construction of two new ship handling vessels to be built at Diversified Marine in Portland, Ore. The two tugs are sister class vessels to the previously built Michelle Sloan and Lela Franco, and will add to the company's fleet presence on the West Coast. The vessels will each have a length of 80', a beam of 36' and a depth of 16'-8" and are capable of producing 70 short tons of bollard pull. Each vessel is equipped with two CAT 3516, Tier 3 propulsion engines, for a total of approximately 5,200 horsepower, and two Caterpillar C7.1, Tier 3 generators. These engines reduce NOx and particulate matter, from Tier 2 models by 74 percent. The vessels are each equipped with a Markey bow winch, a barge handling stern winch, and Shibata fendering.

Crowley Maritime Corporation’s tanker escort and docking services group in Valdez is celebrating over seven million man hours and more than six years since logging its last Lost Time Injury (LTI). In addition to this remarkable number, the company announced that it had not had an OSHA recordable case in over two million man hours while performing tanker assist and escort work for Alyeska Pipeline Service Company. In 2015, the company logged over one million man hours while safely escorting 236 tankers through Prince William Sound…

The U.S. Patent Office has  issued Patent s/n 9,056,655 to inventors Brandon Durar (JonRie Marine Winches) and Gregory Castleman (Castleman Maritime) for A Staple Torque Aligning Winch System for Escort Tugs. Naval architect Greg Castleman approached Durar in the winter of 2007 with the concept of a rotating fairlead for an escort winch which Durar presented the concept to rotate the winch and staple as a single unit. After JonRie completed conceptual engineering it was defined…

Crowley crews commended by U.S. Captain Rodney Layton and his crew aboard Crowley’s Prevention and Response tugboat (PRT) Alert were recently recognized by U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Capt. Paul Mehler III, sector commander captain of the port, for their “professionalism, courage and flawless performance in extreme conditions” during the emergency rescue tow of the drill barge Kulluk off the southern point of Kodiak Island. Capt. Mehler was joined by other USCG members including Sector Chief Gustin…