Jensen Maritime News

The November edition of Marine News magazine highlighted the most notable newbuilds delivered in 2022. From sturdy and nimble workboats, to the first new Jones Act laker in a generation, each vessel on display showcases the industry’s engineering prowess and technological ingenuity, with the focus on improving efficiency in operations. The maritime industry has no shortage of challenges to overcome, and each of Marine News’ top vessels will, in one way or another, aid efforts to tackle them.Mark W.

Sea Change - America’s first hydrogen powered ferrySWITCH Maritime’s new 70-foot passenger ferry Sea Change is navigating uncharted waters as the United States’ first zero-emissions, hydrogen fuel cell-powered, electric-drive ferry.The pioneering aluminum newbuild, constructed by Bellingham, Wash. shipbuilder All American Marine, Inc. (AAM), has been completed and was launched this summer, though permitting of hydrogen fuel systems for maritime vessels is still being worked out with the U.S. Coast Guard.“Legislation and laws for passenger safety did not exist yet for this type of vessel.

Crowley Maritime Corporation on Monday announced plans to build and operate an all-electric powered harbor tugboat capable of completing a job without expending a drop of fuel—a first in the U.S.The 82-foot-long vessel, dubbed eWolf, will be operational at the Port of San Diego’s Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal by mid-2023 and comes as Crowley and the maritime industry continue to make strides toward sustainability and decarbonization. Over the first 10 years of its use, the operation of the new e-tug will reduce 178 tons of nitrogen oxide (NOx)…

Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB) said it has delivered the final vessel in a series of four new tugs for Foss Maritime.The ASD-90 tractor tugs Jamie Ann, Sarah Avrick, Leisa Florence and Rachael Allen were completed and delivered between April 2020 and June 2021. Foss, a division of the Saltchuk company, will station two of the vessels in Los Angeles/Long Beach, while the other two vessels will be in the San Francisco Bay providing escort and assist services to large tankers and containerships calling on the California ports.The series' fourth vessel…

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…

Crowley Engineering Services announced Monday it has designed the first fully electric U.S. tugboat with autonomous technology, engineered as a zero-emissions, high-performance solution for ship assist and harbor services.The Crowley design, powered by the expertise of recently integrated subsidiary Jensen Maritime, leverages a large battery system and power saving technology to operate in a fully electric mode while producing zero air emissions or greenhouse gases, Crowley said.

The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. announced today the launch of Qamun, a 55,000-barrel shallow draft double hull petroleum tank barge built by Greenbrier Marine, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Greenbrier. Crowley Engineering Services provided on-site construction management using an Alaska-specific design by Jensen Maritime, its recently integrated naval architecture and marine engineering firm.The 350-foot barge, which will form part of an articulated tug-barge (ATB) unit, will be paired with the tug Aurora being constructed by Master Boat Builders Inc., Coden, Ala.

Crowley announced Friday that the company has fully integrated Jensen Maritime into the Crowley Engineering Services group, a group designed to seamlessly combine Crowley’s diverse business portfolio with Jensen’s marine engineering and naval architecture experience.“This transformation reflects the evolution of Crowley’s capabilities as single source for engineering and design since Jensen joined Crowley as a subsidiary in 2008,” said Matt Yacavone, SVP and GM, Crowley Shipping.

This year, despite innumerable challenges and setbacks, a great number of new U.S.-flagged vessels made their way into service. In addition to Maid of the Mist's new electric tour boats James V. Glynn and Nikola Tesla featured Wednesday, the newbuilds highlighted below are some of the most noteworthy to come out of U.S. shipyards in 2020.DredgerU.S. dredging contractors have been adding tonnage in a big way. This Spring, Callan Marine added a significant piece to the U.S. fleet with its new Jones Act cutterhead suction dredge (CSD) General MacArthur.

“…We have built our reputation job by job, boat by boat, and tow by tow, and we intend to continue to do so.”The Great Lakes Towing Company (GLT) and the Great Lakes Shipyard are core businesses within The Great Lakes Group of Companies, based in Cleveland, on the Old River, a shipping channel that runs west from where the Cuyahoga River meets Lake Erie. Company towing operations extend from Buffalo, N.Y. in the east to Duluth, Minn. in the west. Great Lakes Towing owns and operates the largest U.S.-flagged tugboat fleet on the Great Lakes, serving more than 35 ports in all eight U.S.

Leisa Florence, the third of four ASD-90 Class tugs for Foss Maritime, was launched at Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB) on Wednesday.The ASD-90 Class tugs designed by Jensen Maritime Consultants are 100’ x 40’ Z-Drive tractor tugs are built to U.S. Coast Guard Subchapter “M” regulatory standards, with ABS loadline certification and UWILD notation.The vessels are equipped with two MTU series 4000 main engines, meeting Tier 4 emission standards, coupled to Kongsberg US255 azimuth thrusters.

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.

Bunkering ports around the world have long used a variety of small tankers or tug and barge combinations to deliver fuel to visiting ships. Mostly this was heavy oil, but recently a new breed of bunkering vessels is emerging to deliver clean burning liquefied natural gas (LNG) to modern ships with dual-fuel capabilities.The fall of 2020 will see a new addition to this fleet servicing ships in Florida and the Caribbean. As an articulated tug barge (ATB) combination, the vessel will have a cargo capacity of 4,000 cubic meters of LNG.

Crowley Fuels took delivery Tuesday of its new Alaska Class 100,000-barrel, articulated tug-barge (ATB), which will be used to transport petroleum products for the Alaska market, from Bollinger Shipyards.Crowley will operate the 483-foot ATB for Alaska-based Petro Star Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC) under a long-term charter. Crowley Shipping’s petroleum services group will operate the ATB on behalf of Crowley Fuels.The ATB is the first in Crowley’s fleet to be dedicated to the Alaska market.

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…

These days, cost-conscious municipalities across the fruited plain, from sea to shining sea, are ordering new waterborne assets to cover their many local responsibilities. When they do, they want ‘more bang for their buck,’ combining multiple missions – and the equipment that makes it all possible – onto one hull. That’s a tall order on the typically compact patrol boat style hulls that tend to be big on performance, but short on space for equipment that can demand a significant physical footprint. One such shipbuilder stepping up to plate to deliver on a raft of promises is Gulf Coast-based Metal Shark. Significantly expanding its presence in the fireboat market with a diverse range of fireboats currently in production for multiple customers…

Crowley Fuels has signed construction contracts to build a 55,000-barrel, articulated tug-barge (ATB) that is specifically designed to serve the Western Alaska market with delivery of clean fuel products.The 410-foot ATB will have enhanced performance features for the demanding river and sea conditions of Western Alaska, an area that depends on safe and reliable marine delivery services during the short open-water season. An ATB consists of a tugboat and barge that are connected from the bow of the tug to a notch in the stern of the barge by a hinged connection system…

The U.S. towing and tug business is 5,500 boats, more than 31,000 barges with an estimated total impact on U.S. GDP of $33.8 billion.“At a macro level, the bigger ships are causing downward pressure on the ship assist business because there are fewer ship calls given the increased capacity of these vessels. However, certain ports have seen tremendous growth, based on strategic location and infrastructure investments that have attracted these larger ships and been a net plus for these areas.”Kate Fuhrman…

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. has announced the delivery of the Escort/Rescue Z-Drive Tug Ava M. McAllister for McAllister Towing, Inc. on May 31, 2019. This Escort/Rescue Z-Drive Tug design is provided by Jensen Maritime Consultants and is issued a USCG Sub-M Certificate of Inspection (COI). The vessel arrived at Eastern in 2018.The Ava M. McAllister (ESG Hull #222) is from the same 100’ Z-drive tug design provided by Jensen Maritime Consultants of Seattle, WA as the Rosemary McAllister (ESG Hull #224) and the upcoming Capt. Jim McAllister(ESG Hull #223), tugs constructed at Eastern.

Washburn & Doughty, of East Boothbay, Maine, has announced the execution of a new vessel construction contract with Moran Towing Corporation, of New Canaan, Connecticut, to build two 86’ x 36’ ASD-Type Ship Assist and Escort Z-Drive Tugs, with options to build up to ten vessels.In addition to the two firm tugs, which will be delivered in 2020, the contract provides Moran with four, two-tug options keyed to production milestones of the tugs then under construction.W&D’s team of in-house naval architects and designers will complete the production designs for the new 86’ tugs based on the contract plans and regulatory package prepared by Jensen Maritime Consultants, Inc.

The Boat builders in Freeland, Washington, Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB) has successfully trialed and delivered Baydelta Maritime’s,  new 100’ x 40’ Delta Class Hybrid Tractor Tug.The Tug is the seventh tractor tug NBBB has built for Baydelta and its affiliated companies, but the first Hybrid, an exciting milestone for both NBBB and Baydelta.Baydelta CEO, Shawn Bennett said: "The Delta Teresa is a great addition to our fleet of the 100x40 90 ton tugs. Baydelta and Nichols Brothers have a long standing relationship, together creating what is widely recognized as the premier Harbor tug class”.The tug is powered by two (2) Caterpillar C3516 C Tier 3 diesel engines each rated at 1995 kW @ 1600 rpm and by two (2) 424kw electric motors.

Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineering firm Jensen Maritime Consultants (JMC) has been awarded the contract to design ship assist and escort tugboats for Moran Towing, a tug-and-barge operator on the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts.The new boats will be the latest in a series of seven Jensen-designed tugboats for Moran over the past decade, said a press release from JMC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Crowley Maritime Corporation.New features on the tugboats include upgrades to meet the latest ABS regulations and U.S. Coast Guard subchapter M regulations, as well as meeting U.S. EPA Tier IV requirements. The upgrades will ensure the vessels meet current and future demands for performance and maneuverability…

Nichols Brothers Boat Builders has set an aggressive time table to deliver four 90-short ton bollard pull tugs to Foss Maritime that represent the company’s push to enhance its fleet with vessels that meet stringent environmental standards.The 100-foot by 40-foot tugs designed by Jensen Maritime Consultants are multifunctional vessels, capable of ship assist and escort capabilities, towing and fighting fires. The tugs will be deployed to Foss’s fleet on the West Coast.Pacific Power Group worked with Nichols Brothers to outfit each tug with MTU 16v4000M65L EPA Tier 4 diesel engines with Rolls-Royce US255 azimuth thrusters.The propulsion system includes an MTU Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) exhaust aftertreatment system…