Towing Services News

The Great Lakes Towing Company (GLT) has hired Salvadore Menoyo for its business development team.Sal has been named Vice President-Special Projects, reporting to Joe Starck, President of GLT. He will be based in Jacksonville, Fla. and use his extensive experience and expertise to identify, develop and manage new business opportunities on the East Coast, including the Gulf and Puerto Rico. In this new role, Menoyo will work with internal and external customers and build relationships with partners and other prospects to bring value and growth to the company.Menoyo…

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.

This week, Canada welcomed the arrival of the its first fully electric tugboat, HaiSea Wamis.Built by Sanmar Shipyards in Turkey, the vessel is the first in a series of three Robert Allan Ltd. designed ElectRA 2800 battery electric harbor tugs being constructed for HaiSea Marine, a joint venture partnership between the Haisla First Nation and Seaspan ULC.Together with HaiSea’s incoming dual-fuel (liquefied natural gas [LNG] and diesel) escort tugs, the fleet will make the voyage…

HaiSea Marine, majority owned by Haisla Nation in partnership with Seaspan ULC, celebrated the naming and blessing of its tug boat fleet – which includes the world’s first fully electric harbor tug boat, along with dual fuel (LNG and Diesel) escort tug boats. Once delivered, the green fleet will provide ship-assist and escort towing services to LNG carriers calling at LNG Canada’s new export facility in Kitimat in the traditional territory of the Haisla Nation.Members of the Haisla Nation joined representatives from Seaspan…

Boluda Towage has started towing services at the German port of Lubmin for the first installation of a floating LNG storage plant.The Deutsche ReGas LubminLNG import terminal will become the first operational FSRU-based facility in Germany. The floating storage and regasification unit is based inside the port of Lubmin, where an existing gas pipeline allows for a quick connection.In mid-December 2022, the 2009-built 145,000-cbm FSRU Neptune arrived in Germany’s port of Lubmin to serve the new LNG import terminal.

An Iranian-flagged tanker seized by Greece in April, part of whose cargo was confiscated by the United States, was being towed to the port of Piraeus on Saturday, Greek coast guard officials said, after Greek authorities approved its release.For over two months the Iranian-flagged Lana has been anchored off the Greek island of Evia in a diplomatic impasse which strained Athens' relations with Tehran amid growing tensions between Iran and the United States."It left Karystos at 06:30 am (0330 GMT) and is expected to reach Piraeus around 10:00 pm…

A Greek court on Wednesday overturned an earlier court ruling that allowed the confiscation by the United States of part of a cargo of Iranian oil on an Iranian-flagged tanker off the Greek coast, three sources familiar with the matter said.The incident had led to an angry response by Iran, with Iranian forces last month seizing two Greek tankers in the Gulf after Tehran warned it would take "punitive action" against Athens.Iran had also appealed the original court decision, one legal source said, declining to be named."The action for the reversal of the ruling was accepted by the court," the source said. "It will be hard to overrule that (the appeal court's ruling)."It was not immediately clear if the U.S.

Ocean Group announced it has signed a 10-year agreement with the Port of Vancouver to provide port towing services at the two Roberts Bank terminals, Deltaport and Westshore Terminals. Starting July 19, Ocean Group will mobilize two Damen ASD Tug 2813 tugs equipped with fire fighting systems and IMO Tier III engines.Ocean Group began operations in the Port of Vancouver in March 2020 with two tugs. Since then, the company has increased the number of its tugs present in this territory with the arrival of new tugs, and then with the acquisition of Samson Tugboats.

SAAM Towage Canada and Coast Tsimshian Enterprises Ltd. have signed a strategic alliance agreement covering access to education, training, employment and towing services.The agreement is effective immediately. Through this long-term alliance, SAAM Towage Canada will provide towage, ship-docking and ship escort services within the traditional territory of the Coast Tsimshian, including the Port of Prince Rupert and Port Edward. Additionally, the alliance will establish long-term sustainable benefits for Lax Kw’alaams and the Metlakatla First Nation and provide access to education…

PSA Marine Peru, a wholly owned subsidiary of PSA Marine (Pte) Ltd,. contracted Cheoy Lee Shipyards in Hong Kong for equipping one newly built tug with Schottel RudderPropellers featuring the patented SYDRIVE-M technology. SYDRIVE-M is designed to ensure lower maintenance costs and less fuel consumption, enabling PSA Marine Peru to offer emission-reduced towing services in Peruvian ports. The RAmparts 2400W design vessel is scheduled to enter service in 2023.“In PSA Marine Peru…

Dutch marine contractor Boskalis has won a contract to transport and install the monopile foundations and substations for an offshore wind farm development.Boskalis did not say who the client was, nor where the project would be taking place, but said the value was around 450 million euros (around $515 million)."Boskalis’ successful track record in offshore wind energy is founded in Europe and has expanded to Asia in recent years, and more recently to the US East Coast," Boskalis said, adding that its Bokalift 1 and Bokalift 2 crane vessels and versatile heavy transport fleet were ideally suited for large-scale offshore wind projects.

With a milestone project for South America, the Brazilian towage group Starnav is setting sails to reach the IMO 2030 goals: Starnav has contracted Detroit shipyard in Itajaí, Brazil, for equipping four newly built tugs with SCHOTTEL RudderPropellers. One of the 32 meter long and 11.6 meter wide escort tugs will feature the SCHOTTEL patented SYDRIVE-M technology right from start; the other three will be configured to be SYDRIVE-ready. As a mechanical hybrid solution without the costly complexity of common hybrid technology…

German propulsion firm Schottel has secured an order to deliver a total of ten rudder propellers and two transverse thrusters for five tugs that will serve the LNG carriers stopping at an LNG export facility in Canada.Schottel's equipment will be installed on two LNG-fuelled escort tugs, as well as in three battery-powered harbor tugs. Ordered by Canadian HaiSea Marine, a partnership between the Haisla Nation and Seaspan ULC, the vessels will provide ship assist and towing services to LNG carriers stopping at a new LNG export facility in Kitimat, British Columbia.

The 60m RAmpage 6000-ZM vessel Koc Al Zour, built by Uzmar Shipyard, will be the largest Robert Allan Ltd. design ever built in Turkey. She is designed and constructed as a modern double azimuth stern drive (ASD) and is the most capable multipurpose oil spill recovery and offshore support vessel Kuwait Oil Company has ever ordered.The vessel is equipped to undertake operations such as oil spill response, oil spill containment and recovery, area surveillance, offshore fire fighting…

Maersk's Svitzer, a maritime towage provider, has recently signed a 10-year deal with FGEN LNG, a First Gen subsidiary, for towage and other vessel support services required by FGEN LNG’s Offshore LNG Terminal in the Philippines.The LNG Terminal project will feature a leased Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) that will be located at the First Gen Clean Energy Complex in Batangas City in the Philippines.BW Group in April secured a 5-year contract with FGEN LNG for the charter of BW Paris…

Turkish shipbuilder Sanmar Shipyards announced it has inked a deal with HaiSea Marine for the build and delivery of three liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fueled escort tugs and two battery-electric harbor tugs which will provide ship-assist and escort towing services to LNG carriers calling at LNG Canada’s new export facility in Kitimat, B.C., on Canada's west coast.Following an initial tender process which began in 2018, HaiSea Marine has awarded the contract for all five tugs to Sanmar plus an option for a sixth.

China's Sanlin Shipyard has built and delivered a new harbor tug for the Port of Shanghai.The Robert Allan Ltd.-designed workboat Hai Gang 501 will be used by Shanghai Harbor Fuxing Shipping Service Company for berthing and unberthing in harbor as well as coastal towing services and firefighting duties in China’s busiest port.The 498 gt  tug is 32 meters long with a 12-meter molded beam and 5.29-meter maximum draft. Main propulsion for the 3,680 kW tug comprises a pair of Niigata 6L28HX main engines…

A  1,600-horsepower towboat delivered to Harvey, La.-based operator L&L Marine Transportation in June is now operational with a full range of Thordon oil-free and grease-free bearings.Designed by Entech, the 65-foot twin-screw towboat Amelia Ray is purpose-built by Rodriquez Shipbuilding in Coden, Ala. for the transportation of petrochemicals along all inland and coastal waters in the southern states of the U.S.In addition to newest towboat addition, L&L Marine operates the 2,000-horsepower Melissa Lee and three 1,200-horsepower vessels Angela Rae, Myrna Ann and Madeleine Michelle.

Cathelco, part of Evac Group, has won an order to deliver marine growth prevention system (MGPS) for a new multi-purpose oil spill response and towage vessel being built for the Kuwait Oil Co.The system will be installed to prevent bio-fouling and corrosion in seawater pipework on the 60-meter vessel is currently under construction at the Uzmar Shipyard in Turkey with delivery scheduled for Q4 2020.The vessel will be equipped for towing services, area surveillance, offshore fire-fighting…

German propulsion systems manufacturer Schottel says it has secured a contract with Turkish shipyard Med Marine to provide azimuth thrusters for a powerful new salvage tug ordered by Kenya Ports Authority (KPA). The vessel will be equipped with main and auxiliary propulsion systems from Schottel, achieving a bollard pull of more than 120 tonnes. The Robert Allan RAstar 4200 (MED-A42120) design vessel is considered the largest tugboat on the East African Coast of the Indian Ocean.Recai Hakan Şen…

Dutch shipbuilding giant Damen Shipyards Group has signed a contract with Société de Remorquage et de Travaux Maritimes (SNRTM) for the delivery of one Damen STu 1606 that shall operate in the Mediterranean Sea in Toulon, France.According to a press release from the manufacturer tugs and workboats, high speed crafts, ferries, offshore vessels, pontoons, the contract was signed in the Netherlands at Damen’s headquarters, between Eric Arnal, Managing Director of Société de Remorquage et de Travaux Maritimes and Arnout Damen, Chief Commercial Officer of Damen Shipyards Group.Société de Remorquage was founded in 1968 by Yves ARNAL (Mr. Eric Arnal's grand-father).

Star Bulk Carriers Corp. announced that it has consummated the previously announced acquisition of 16 dry bulk vessels in an all-share transaction, from entities affiliated with Augustea Atlantica SpA and York Capital Management.The final consideration for the Augustea Vessel Purchase is 10.3 million common shares of the Company, equal to approximately 11.3% of Star Bulk’s common shares after the closing of the Augustea Vessel Purchase.As part of the transaction, the Company will assume debt of approximately $309 million.Following the closing of the Augustea Vessel Purchase, Raffaele Zagari will be appointed to the Board of Directors of Star Bulk as a Class C Director.

Ohio-based shipping firm the Interlake Steamship Company announced it will time charter a 418-foot, 14,400-short-ton capacity dry cargo barge from the U.S. East Coast to operate on the Great Lakes starting this spring.The single-hold covered hopper barge Montville, owned and operated by Connecticut-based towing services provider Moran Towing Corp, will be under charter through 2019 with options to extend.The time charter deal marks a first for Great Lakes carrier Interlake, whose owned fleet includes nine self-unloading vessels ranging in carrying capacity from 24,000 to 68,000 gross tons.