Towing Service News

Mobile, Ala. shipbuilder Blakeley BoatWorks is building a new EPA Tier 4 ship assist tugboat for fellow The Cooper Group company Crescent Towing. Upon completion, Crescent will operate the new tug in New Orleans as part of its Mississippi River ship assist fleet.“The addition of this new 6,000-hp z-drive in support of our Mississippi River operations highlights our continued commitment to providing our customers with the most powerful and technologically advanced equipment in the industry,” said Scott H.

Coden, Ala. shipbuilder Master Boat Builders has delivered the new tug Hayden Grace to Bay Houston Towing Co. for operations in Galveston, Texas.The new 85-foot-long vessel is the first in a series of three RApport 2600 tug designed by Canadian firm Robert Allan Ltd. ordered by Bay Houston Towing. The design team and the client worked to address operational challenges the vessel would face. Main features of this latest RApport design include compact size and shallow draft allowing it to operate in more confined waterways than previous Z-Tech vessels…

With effect from September 2021, Boluda Towage commenced towage activities in the port of Rostock, Germany, as the company continues to expand in Northwest Europe and at the Baltic Sea region.To start, Boluda Towage will operate a fleet of two powerful tugs at the German Baltic Sea port, and the company will scale up the required tug capacity depending on the needs and requests of port customers.Boluda Towage’s executive vice president Vicente Boluda Ceballos has welcomed the fact that “the Boluda flag will be a permanent presence in the Baltic Sea…

On Wednesday, August 4, Campbell Transportation Company, Inc. christened the secondhand towboat Marci Gale in downtown Pittsburgh.Formerly named the Elizabeth Lane, the Marci Gale was purchased by Campbell in the spring of 2021 from Canal Barge. Upon acquisition, the Marci Gale underwent an extensive overhaul and rehabilitation process at Main Iron Works Shipyard in Houma, La. During this shipyard period, both main engines were completely refurbished along with the interior of the vessel. Numerous other upgrades were done throughout the boat to increase the life and performance of the vessel.The Marci Gale has entered service for Campbell and is operating along the entire Ohio River working the company’s Third-Party Towing Service.

Marcon International has announced to report the recent sales of the following two U.S. flag tugs as sellers continue to upgrade their fleets.The U.S. flag, 4,800 HP twin screw, flush-deck, articulated pusher tug “Java Sea” has been sold by Kirby Offshore Marine of Houston, Texas to private buyers. The tug was originally built by the well-respected Main Iron Works of Houma, Louisiana as the “Patriot” (Hull 360) - a 3,000 HP, EMD 12-645E6 powered, conventional twin screw tug with a raised 49.3’ height of eye pilothouse.

At the end of 2018, Gulf Island Shipyards completed the first of ten Z-Tech 30-80 tugs, five of which were ordered by Bay Houston Towing Company through its operator G & H Towing Company in Galveston, Texas. The Z-Tech 30-80 tug Mark E. Kuebler evolved from the previous Z-Tech 7500 design for the same owner. Once again, the design team and client worked seamlessly addressing operational challenges the vessel will face. A main feature of this latest Z-Tech is incorporating Robert Allan Ltd.’s unique RAstar series sponsoned hull form into the existing Z-Tech design.

In August 2018, PSA Marine Singapore took delivery of two new 32-meter tugs, PSA Thor and PSA Hulk, built at PaxOcean Engineering Zhuhai Co., Ltd.The evolved RAmparts 3200 ASD hull form has been developed by Robert Allan Ltd. to provide ship assist in the berthing and un-berthing operations in ports/terminals and also coastal towing operations. Tugs of this design are capable of escort service as well. PSA Thor and PSA Hulk feature a uniquely styled deckhouse and wheelhouse developed exclusively for PSA Marine.The two new tugs join to PSA Marine’s existing fleet…

A second Articulated Tug Barge unit (ATB) Paul McLernan and the 155,000-barrel barge 155-02 for Houston-based tank barge operator Kirby Corporation has been delivered by Sturgeon Bay, Wisc. shipyard Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding (FBS), a subsidiary of Fincantieri Marine Group. Following the delivery of the first ATB in the fall of 2016, the recent delivery completes a contract signed in July 2014. “Our contract with Kirby to build a pair of ATBs was significant for our FBS team,” said Todd Thayse, FBS vice president and general manager.

Italthai Marine, Thailand recently delivered H.T.M.S. Panyi, a Robert Allan Ltd. designed RAmparts 3200 class tug to the Royal Thai Navy. The tug was officially enrolled by Admiral Na Arreenich, the Naval Commander on March 27, 2017 in Bangkok. Panyi was named after Ko Panyi which is a fishing village in Phang Nga, Thailand, notable for being built on stilts by fishermen and is a well-known tourist destination. The name was given by King Rama IX (King Bhumibol Adulyadej) and was marked the last vessel of the Royal Thai Navy named by His Majesty. The delivery of H.T.M.S.

The 4,300HP tugs Colleen McAllister (ex-Ellena Hicks, Hull 685) and Katie G. McAllister (ex-Libby Black, Hull 671) have been sold and delivered to new owners Port City Marine Services of Muskegon, Mich., reported Marcon International, Inc. The 124’ x 33.1’ x 19.9’ depth / 18’ loaded draft tugs were built in 1967 and 1966 respectively by Gulfport Shipbuilding Corp. of Port Arthur, Texas for Gulf Coast Transit Company, subsidiary of TECO Transport & Trade, of Tampa, Fla. and mated up with the 420’ x 80’…

Abu Dhabi Ports, the master developer, operator and manager of ports and Khalifa Industrial Zone (Kizad) in the Emirate, has renamed its subsidiary, Abu Dhabi Marine Services, as ‘SAFEEN’ –meaning ships in Arabic- in a bid to rebrand itself. The announcement was followed closely by the brand winning the prestigious International Safety Management (ISM) certification from the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Further, as part of expanding its fleet and improving services, SAFEEN  has added a new tug boat named ‘MAQTAA’ to its existing fleet of five tugs, five pilot boats, six  speed boats, one buoy maintenance boat and two oil spill response boats. The company plans to acquire three more tug boats by the end of 2016.

Fincantieri Marine Group’s Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding (FBS) has delivered the Articulated Tug Barge unit (ATB) Barbara Carol Ann Moran and the 110,000-barrel barge Louisiana to Moran Towing Corporation. The 5,300-HP, 121-foot vessel is certified ABS Class +A-1 Towing Service, +AMS, and is equipped with state-of-the-art navigation and communications technology. The ATB unit was delivered on the exact day called for by the contract and will work the East Coast of the United States and the Gulf of Mexico.

Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (Nichols Boats), located in Freeland, Wash., recently completed the M/V Nancy Peterkin, a 136’ x 44’ x 23’, 10,000 HP ATB Tug for Kirby Offshore Marine (Kirby), located in Houston, Texas. The Nancy Peterkin, built for Kirby Offshore Marine, was designed by Guarino & Cox using a round bridge hull form for optimum sea keeping and propulsive efficiency, the builder said. She is to couple into a 185,000 barrel barge built at Gunderson Marine in Portland, Oregon. This vessel will handle barges in full-ocean service.

Signet continues Gulf of Mexico expansion and opens U.S. Signet Maritime Corporation informs it has completed Phase II of a $250 million capital expansion program with the acquisition and integration of the Harvey Gulf OTV fleet. The corporate strategy was to design and own vessels for multidisciplinary work, and diversify with the addition of the powerful offshore vessels, enabling Signet to broaden its services into new market segments, the company explained. Continuing this U.S. expansion, Signet has been awarded multi-vessel, long term charters by Trailer Bridge, Inc., an international freight service company, to perform weekly sailings from Jacksonville, Florida to San Juan, Puerto Rico and Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

Early in 2015, Tianjin Port in the north part of China took delivery of a new ASD 38/60 Class pilot/tugboat, Jin Gang Lun 35, from the builder Shanghai Harbor Fuxing Shipping Service Company, after the delivery of two ASD 35/80 class tugs from the same shipyard in 2013. All three vessels were designed specifically for the Tianjin Port Authority by Robert Allan Ltd., naval architects of Vancouver, Canada. Different to her two predecessors, the hull form of the new tug was developed from the RAstar series for better seakeeping performance…

Keppel Singmarine BrasilLtda. (KSMB), of Navegantes, Brazil has recently completed the construction of the SMIT Panará, the third of a series of six Robert Allan Ltd. designed RAmparts 2500 tugs, for SMIT Rebocadores do Brasil (Rebras), of Rio de Janeiro. The SMIT Panará was delivered in May of 2014, and follows its sisters, the SMIT Pataxóand the SMIT Pareci. The RAmparts Series is a standardized Z-drive tug design which was developed from a prototype vessel and refined to emphasize ease of construction and owners’ specific requirements.

Marcon International, Inc. of Coupeville, Washington reported that Stabbert Maritime of Seattle has time chartered the U.S. flag, DP-1, research vessel Ocean Pioneer (ex: Seabulk Montana, Montana, Seabulk Montana, Indian Seal) to FMC Technology of Davis, California. The 205' x 40' x 17' depth vessel was built in 1974 by Burton Shipyard in Port Arthur, Texas for Seal Fleet of Galveston, Texas and acquired by Hvide Marine, Inc. in 1996, along with seven other offshore supply boats. Hvide reorganized in 2001 and was renamed Seabulk International.

Deloach Marine Services, LLC, and A & Z Marine, LLC, announced the completion of the “M/V Z Sharon.” Z. David Deloach is the sole owner of Deloach, which provides charter towing service along the GIWW and A & Z, his shipyard located in Port Allen, LA. The vessel was originally built by Janoush Marine, Rosedale, MS, as the “FOSTI EDDIE E.” Deloach purchased the vessel in 1984, renamed it the “Bonnet Carre,” but later sold it to American Commercial Lines in 1988 who renamed it the “Donald C. Clark.” Deloach operated the vessel for ACL from 1988 to 2007, when he and his partner sold their fleet to Ingram Barge Company. He later repurchased the vessel and began a refurbishment. Deloach knows the hull as a proven and efficient design, with extreme maneuverability.

Marcon International, Inc. of Coupeville, Washington reported that the 5,570BHP tug Jabbar has been sold by Awal Marine Services of Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain to TradeWinds Towing LLC of Saint Augustine, Florida. Jabbar, meaning “powerful” or “tremendous” in Arabic, was originally built by Main Iron Works of Houma, Louisiana as their Hull 335 for McAllister Towing & Transportation of New York. The twin screw tug was operated by International Tug Service, a joint venture company between McAllister and Arabian American Oil Co. Ltd.

Harley Marine Services has brought its most powerful and environmentally friendly tug boat to service the Port of Los Angeles. The Robert Franco arrived in Los Angeles last week and joins four other tugs in the fleet that assist cargo vessels and tankers in and out of the San Pedro Bay port complex. The Robert Franco features Tier III engines and shore-side electrical power plug-in capabilities. Tier III engines, which are several years away from being required by law, reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter amounts by 90% compared to Tier 0 engines.

Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineering firm, Jensen Maritime, announce delivery of the 'Hawaii', the first of two 120’ x 35’ x 19’ Jensen-designed ABS machinery class ocean-going tugboats, to Hyak Maritime, a marine equipment and vessel owner based in Dover, Delaware. The Hawaii was built by JT Marine of Vancouver, Wash. Hyak’s second tug, the Washington, is scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2013. The Hawaii and Washington are based on the successful Titan-class tugboats, which Jensen developed alongside Western Towboat, a Seattle-based tug and barge company.

Signal invests $40m in Orange, TX shipyard; Building ATBs currently for Kirby Ocean Tranporation Co. A ubiquitous presence in the Gulf of Mexico ship construction and repair market is Mobile, Ala.-based Signal International, a Marine and Fabrication company which employs about 1800 in its four production facilities across Alabama, Mississippi and Texas. Signal specializes in new construction, ship repair, and rig repair. Signal can handle marine construction and repair needs with three dry docks…

To meet strict international codes, the marine transportation and logistics services company Signet Maritime Corporation recently installed Sea-Fire suppression and detection systems on three new tugs. Two of the vessels are 100' x 40' RAstar 3100 Class Terminal Support/Escort tugs. Built by Trinity Offshore, M/V Signet Stars & Stripes and M/V Signet Constellation were recently christened in Gulfport, Mississippi. The third, M/V Signet Weatherly, is a 108' x 40' 4" RAmparts 3200 ASD tug, built by Signet Shipbuilding, and was delivered March 10, 2012. Each tug is protected by a custom-engineered, automatic Sea-Fire FM-200 fire suppression system and FireStop Detection system. An EPA-approved alternative to halon, FM-200 is safe for people and equipment.