Marine News' 2024 US Shipbuilding Report
If nothing else, building vessels in the U.S. is a complicated business.In a session on the domestic shipbuilding marketplace, at Marine Moneyâs late-November 2023 conference held in New Orleans, Ben Bordelon, president and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards (with more than a dozen facilities, in Mississippi and Louisiana), described his companyâs architecture as a âthree-legged stool approach: commercial newbuilds, government newbuilds and repair/conversion capabilitiesâ.On the same panelâŚ
On Board the eWolf: The First Electric Tugboat in the US
Crowley Maritime Corporation has owned and operated a lot of vessels since its founding in 1892. But the latest vessel to join its fleet is unlike any other that has come before it.Crowleyâs new harbor tug, eWolf, is unique in that it runs 100% powered by batteries, not diesel engines, meaning it produces zero emissions and nearly no noise. Not only is the vessel the first fully electric tug in the Crowley fleet, but it is also the first of its kind in the United States.Faced with stricter regulations and commercial pressure to prioritize environmentalâŚ
Marine Towing of Tampa Acquires Seabulk Towing Assets from Bisso
Marine Towing of Tampa announced it is expanding its ship assist services to Florida's east coast following a deal with E.N. Bisso & Son to acquire towing assets formerly owned by SEACOR Holdings' Seabulk arm.In September 2023, SEACOR divested its U.S. harbor towing operations, selling to Bisso 12 tugs across ports in Florida and Alabama.Under a recently executed asset purchase agreement with Bisso, Marine Towing of Tampa acquired the Port Canaveral operations and assets from the SEACOR-Bisso deal and will operate them in Canaveral under a newly formed affiliateâŚ
Bisso's New Tractor Tug to Enter Service This Spring
A new tugboat is slated to enter service for Bisso Towboat this Spring.The Luling, La. based marine towage provider has been working with Main Iron Works to update its fleet, replacing a conventional tug with a tractor tug about every 18 months. In late 2022, the Houma, La. shipbuilder began building a new tractor tug Mr. Brianâthe sixth azimuth stern drive (ASD) tractor tug built by Main Iron Works for Bisso in the past eight years.Named after Bissoâs vice president of operations Brian CyprowskiâŚ
Crowley's All-electric Harbor Tug eWolf Delivered
Crowley on Wednesday announced it has taken delivery of its groundbreaking vessel eWolf, the first all-electric, ship assist harbor tugboat in the United States.The 82-foot tug, designed by Crowleyâs engineering services team and built by Coden, Ala. shipbuilder Master Boat Builders, will enter service at the Port of San Diego this spring following final demonstration trials and completion of Crowleyâs microgrid shoreside charging station. The vessel will operate with zero emissions while providing the complete performance capabilities of a traditional tugâŚ
Workboat Power: Alternatives Join Diesel to Power Currentâand FutureâVessels
Analysts and commentators are quick to point out that fossil fuels will power maritime equipment, and indeed dominate the fueling marketplace, well into the future. However, they will do so alongside new fuels, and new technologies, that will be introduced to the maritime sector in the coming years. In its September, 2023 report âBeyond the Horizon: View of the Emerging Energy Value Chainsâ, the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) explains that, âDuring the recent 80th meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 80)âŚ
Crowley's All-electric Tug eWolf Starts Sea Trials
The first all-electric tugboat built in the United States, Crowley's eWolf, has started sea trials along the U.S. Gulf Coast.The 82-foot ship assist tug, built by Coden, Ala. shipbuilder Master Boat Builders, is expected to enter service at the Port of San Diego in 2024. Video footage of the vessel on sea trials was shared by Crowley on social media.The eWolf is designed to operate on full electric power, producing zero carbon emissions and expected 70 ton bollard pull strength.
Sanmar Delivers Compact Harbor Tug to Seychelles Ports Authority
Sanmar Shipyards has delivered a compact general purpose Bozçay Class harbor tug to the Seychelles Ports Authority.Based on the exclusive-to-Sanmar RApport 1900SX design from Canadian naval architects Robet Allan Ltd, Mamelles is a diesel-powered tug designed for maximum efficiency in the performance of ship-handling duties for seagoing ships.Measuring 19.3m LOA with an 8.2m beam and maximum draft of 2.9m, Mamelles has conventional twin screw propulsion with twin nozzles and four rudders providing a bollard pull of 33 tonnes and excellent maneuverability.
Blakeley BoatWorks Building New Tug for Crescent Towing
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.âThe 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,â said Scott H.
Excessive Speed Led to Tugboat Grounding -NTSB
Excessive speed during a bow-to-bow harbor-assist maneuver led to the grounding of the tugboat CC Portland in the Corpus Christi Ship Channel last year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.It is the second marine casualty the NTSB investigated in 2022 caused by excessive speed in azimuthing stern drive, or ASD, tugboats while in the center lead forward position. The NTSB said it continues to encourage owners and operators of ASD tugboats that perform bow-to-bow harbor-assist operations to set speed limits.âThe risk of a casualty during these operations with ASD tugboats increases with increasing speed,â NTSB investigators said in the final report. âHigher speed reduces the amount of reserve propulsion power available to the operator.
Fowler Appointed to Lead Crowley Shipping
Crowley has appointed James Fowler as senior vice president and general manager of its Crowley Shipping business unit that serves U.S. and international maritime and logistics sectors.Fowler most recently served as managing director of marine and stevedoring operations for Cooper Marine and executive vice president for Blakeley BoatWorks, both headquartered in Mobile, Ala.âAs Crowley advances its next generation of maritime services, James Fowler is ideally suited to bring the vision and leadership to help our customersâŚ
Future Fuels: Methanol
Any commentator on the maritime business decarbonization voyage will offer something along the lines of "There will be multiple fuelsâŚ" With the International Maritime Organization (IMO) meetings of its Maritime Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) set for early July, it is likely that targets for emissions will be tightened. Whatever mileposts that the IMO actually establishes, there will be no prescriptions handed down on how to get there. By mid-2023, nearly two years after the late 2021 alternative fuels crescendo in the aftermath of the COP26 meetings in GlasgowâŚ
Crowley Charters Tug to Serve Los Angeles, Long Beach
Crowley has entered into its fourth long-term charter for its newest Tier IV ship assist tug, Artemis, with Brusco Tug & Barge.The 77-foot tug will deliver 7,000 horsepower with a bollard pull of 96 tons using two Caterpillar Marine 3516 Tier IV-compliant engines, meeting U.S. Environmental Protection Agency emission standards. Artemis will also feature advanced technology to enhance maneuverability and provide operators with remote monitoring of its performance, making it highlyâŚ
Excessive Speed Leads to Tugboat Collision with Containership -NTSB
Excessive speed during an advanced harbor-assist maneuver led to a tugboat colliding with a containership in the Houston Ship Channel last year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Wednesday.The tugboat George M and containership MSC Aquarius collided on April 14, 2022, while the tugboat was positioning for a ship-assist maneuver and the containership was transiting north in the Houston Ship Channel. No injuries were reported. About 1,000 gallons of gear oil were released from the damaged George Mâs port propulsion unit.
Canada's First Fully Electric Tug Arrives in Vancouver
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 HaiSeaâs incoming dual-fuel (liquefied natural gas [LNG] and diesel) escort tugs, the fleet will make the voyageâŚ
2023 US Shipbuilding Report
Much has changed since Marine Newsâ 2022 shipbuilding report published in March last year, and business opportunities in certain market segments continue to grow. But the shipyards that are looking to cash in are still facing many of the same challenges.For example, many American shipyards and their partners throughout the shipbuilding supply chain are still finding it difficult to attract and retain the workers they need. If youâre a skilled craftsperson looking for a job in shipbuilding, youâre in luck, because there are plenty of openings at shipyards across the country.
Worldâs First Fully Electric Harbor Tugboat Named
HaiSea Marine, majority owned by Haisla Nation in partnership with Seaspan ULC, celebrated the naming and blessing of its tug boat fleet â which includes the worldâs 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 Canadaâs new export facility in Kitimat in the traditional territory of the Haisla Nation.Members of the Haisla Nation joined representatives from SeaspanâŚ
Sanmar Delivers Four New Tugs
Sanmar Shipyards delivered four tugs during the final week of 2022 rounding off a year that saw the Turkish tugboat-builder deliver a total of 30 tugs to operators across Europe, the Middle East, Australia, South and Central America and Asia, along with others to its domestic market in Türkiye.The last tug to be delivered in 2022 was YENICAY XVI to Türkiye based Marintug, where it was been renamed ADAKALE by its new owners. The RAscal 1800 Class of compact tugs have been developed exclusively for Sanmar by Canadian naval architects Robert Allan LtdâŚ
Bisso Towboat Orders Tug from Main Iron Works
Luling, La. based marine towage provider Bisso Towboat said it has ordered a new tractor tug from Houma, La. shipbuilder Main Iron Works. Construction is scheduled to commence in late 2022 with delivery in early 2024, Bisso revealed in an announcement.The 5,000 BHP ASD tug will feature two Caterpillar 3516E Tier 4F main propulsion engines generating 2,500 BHP each at 1,600 RPM. The engines will drive a pair of Kongsberg US205S azimuthing thrusters with 2,400 mm diameter stainless steel propellers in stainless steel nozzles. Estimated bollard pull will be 66 tons.Other onboard equipment will include a JonRie Series 240 escort winch, Caterpillar C4.4 118 KW generator sets and a full complement of safety, monitoring and electronic equipment, Bisso said.
Grandweld Delivers Four New Tugs for Shuwaikh Port
Grandweld Shipyard in Dubai has delivered four new tractor tugs for operations in Kuwaitâs Shuwaikh Port.The four TRAktor 2700-Z vessels Ghanim-1, Ghanim-2, Ghanim-3 and Ghanim-4 were designed by Robert Allan Ltd., who worked closely with the Grandweld Shipyard to develop the customized design of the previously built 27-meter TRAktor tug series. The tugs were engineered to perform multiple tasks including ship assist, escort, towing, fire fighting, oil pollution response and others.Each vessel is powered by two Caterpillar 3512C main enginesâŚ
Tier IV Tug Athena Delivered to Crowley
Crowley has taken delivery of Athena, its fourth and most powerful Tier IV ship assist and harbor escort tugboat.The 77-foot Athena provides the agility of its compact size without the sacrifice of power â offering the most bollard pull for a tug under 80 feet in the market. The Robert Allan Ltd.-designed RApport 2500 D vessel operates on a pair of 3,386-horsepower Caterpillar Marine 3516 Tier IV-compliant engines, resulting in lower greenhouse gas emissions while achieving a power output of nearly 6,800 horsepower and 96 tons of bollard pull.
KOTUG and SCI Kick Off Mariner Training Partnership
The Training & Consultancy division of KOTUG International (KOTUG) and U.S. maritime education and maritime training provider the Seamenâs Church Institute (SCI) entered into a strategic partnership to offer exclusive training of tug masters, shipsâ crews, river barge shippers, and pilots by certified KOTUG trainers at SCI training facilities across the United States. The partnership was officially kicked-off by hosting Moran Towing Corporation for a week of ASD operator training assisted by Riven Marine founder Captain Jay Rivera.Since 2019âŚ
Glosten, ABB Debut Methanol-Hybrid Tug Design
Glosten and ABB have teamed to develop a methanol-hybrid ship assist tug design. The "SA-100" is a 100-ft. ASD harbor tugâdesigned to measure under 100 grtâis propelled by two methanol compatible CAT 3512E gensets powering electrically driven L-drives. The gensets are complemented by battery banks for zero-emission operation when transiting, peak shaving during general operation, and as boost for achieving the tugâs peak bollard pull of 90 short tons.âWe had three primary design objectives in developing this tugâall intended to benefit the owner/operatorâŚ