Crowley Tug Sold to Island Tug & Barge
Photo: Marcon International
Photo: Marcon International
Crowley Marine Services, Inc. has sold a second sister-tug of the Point Class to Island Tug & Barge Co., Marcon International, Inc. reported.
The sale of the ABS +A1, Towing, +AMS classed, 2,100BHP shallow draft ocean towing / push tug Pt. Oliktok mirrors the transaction which Marcon brokered in 2013 between the two parties on the sister vessel ex-Pt. Barrow. The three Point Class sister-tugs were specifically designed and built to work in the Arctic, where Crowley needed vessels specifically designed to perform both ocean and coastal tows and push its 200’ x 60’ flat deck barges in shallow waters around Prudhoe Bay.
The tug measures 90’ x 32’ with a depth of 11.2’ and light draft of 6’. Normal operating draft is about 8.5’ when loaded with about 60,000 gallons fuel, which gives the tug a decent towing range for coastal work. The triple deck tugs were built in 1982 by Dakota Creek Industries of Anacortes, Washington. While the hull is all welded steel construction, her superstructure is aluminum. Pt. Oliktok is powered by a pair of CAT3512 diesels which provide about 2,110BHP to fixed pitch four-blade stainless steel propellers in kort nozzles through Twin Disc 6.18:1 gears. The tug is also fitted with shaft brakes and previously fitted with steering and flanking rudders but the flanking rudders were removed by Crowley shortly after construction. The new owner is considering reinstalling flanking rudders for added maneuverability while pushing ahead. Bollard pull is about 23.5 short tons.
Towing gear consists of a single drum Smatco winch with a capacity of about 1,900’ 1.75” wire, a hydraulic tow pin assembly aft and two hydraulic barge winches forward just aft of the vertical push knees.
Marcon International acted as sole broker in the transaction and has handled dozens of sales and purchases over the years for the Buyer and over 100 for the Seller. So far this year, Marcon has concluded a total of nine sales and charters, with several additional sales pending and expected to close shortly. Marcon has concluded a total of 1,370 sales and charters since the company was established including 306 tugs with a total of 953,439BHP and hope to break the one million BHP mark in 2016.
