Tanker Escort Services News

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.

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…

Crowley Maritime Corp. has appointed Jonathan Zier manager of business development in Houston.Zier will assist customers globally with marine transportation projects such as sealifts and beach-landings, as well as offshore and coastal towing and installation of rigs, spars and other structures. He will also be responsible for providing solutions for alternative energy projects such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, offshore wind power generation, and other projects requiring offshore or coastal equipment and expertise.Zier will report to Johan Sperling…

Crowley Maritime Corp. appointed four industry veterans to oversee the consolidated lines of business under the recently formed Crowley Shipping group, which provides petroleum and chemical transportation, commercial ship management, offshore energy support and ship assist and tanker escort services in the U.S. and international markets. Crowley said the new business unit structure better aligns vessel operations and services with customers, positioning the company for greater growth and efficiency under Rob Grune, senior vice president and general manager.

Crowley Marine Services said it will relocate the tugboat Veteran to the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach to service all vessels, including large petroleum tank vessels with deep drafts greater than 65 feet calling on Long Beach Berth 121. With a bollard pull rating of over 90 short tons, the powerful Veteran is better suited to serve the very large crude carriers (VLCCs) that are calling more regularly in Long Beach. Tesoro and the Long Beach Pilots are now requiring a tug with…

Crowley inform that Scott Hoggarth has been promoted to vice president, West Coast harbor ship assist and tanker escort services. He has assumed new overall responsibilities for marine operations and engineering functions, as well as commercial results for Crowley’s tug services offered in major U.S. West Coast ports. Hoggarth has assumed new overall responsibilities for marine operations and engineering functions, as well as commercial results for Crowley’s tug services offered in major U.S. West Coast ports.

Crowley Maritime Corp was recently honored with the Marine Environmental Business of the Year Award during the 62nd Annual Maritime Festival Luncheon in Seattle. Crowley’s Gordon Brink, administrative assistant, harbor ship assist and tanker escort  services, accepted the award from the Port of Seattle’s CEO Tay Yoshitani on behalf of the company. Each year the award is granted to a company that demonstrates environmental initiative and leadership through its commitment to helping the Port of Seattle maintain a low-carbon footprint.

In recognition of Crowley Maritime Corporation's safe harbor ship assist and tanker escort operations on the west coast, Tesoro Maritime Company recently honored Crowley's harbor services team with safe work awards - one for each of the past four years - during a ceremony in Crowley's Seattle office. Crowley's Andrew Gauthier, port captain; Scott Hoggarth, general manager of harbor ship assist and tanker escort services; and tug crewmembers Abe Gueller, Tom File and Chuck Klausmeier were present to accept the awards from Captain Tim Plummer, vice president of Tesoro Maritime.

Crowley Maritime Corporation has made several organizational changes within its contract services and marine operations groups. John Ara has been named vice president, contract services, and Chris Peterson has been named vice president, marine operations, both reporting to  John Douglass, senior vice president and general manager, Atlantic and Gulf services and Rocky Smith, senior vice president and general manager, Pacific and West Coast services. In his new role, Ara will remain…

This year, The American Waterways Operators (AWO), the national trade association for the tugboat, towboat and barge industry, celebrates its 60th anniversary. AWO members, representing the inland, coastal and harbor sectors of the industry, recently marked this milestone at its Spring Convention, recalling the reasons for the association's founding and recognizing the remarkable evolution of the industry over the past six decades. AWO was formed in 1944 in the midst of emerging regulations, priorities and demands for transportation during World War II. Today, AWO members account for 80 percent of the towing industry's active fleet.

When Olympic Tug & Barge was founded in 1987, owner Harley Franco had environmental responsibility on his mind. Early major oil tanker disasters southeast of Nantucket, Mass., near Galveston, Texas, and off the coasts of England and Mexico were influencing the future of the oil transportation industry. So Franco committed himself to growing his business by assembling a "fleet of the future" built around the most environmentally friendly technology he could afford. Today, parent company Harley Marine Services oversees a combined fleet of more than 40 vessels. Olympic Tug & Barge began as a vessel bunkering operation, leasing a tugboat and barge to transport the bunker barges from ship to ship.

A contract for the Hector P., a new 4,200 hp Z-Drive harbor tug to be built by Orange Shipbuilding for South Puerto Rico Towing Corporation was signed last month. Bristol Harbor Marine Design assisted in the harbor tug contract negotiations along with the acting buyer’s agent, Eric Rivera from Harbor Bunkering Corporation of San Juan, Puerto Rico. “The HECTOR P. is going to raise the bar for tugboats in Puerto Rico,” said Mr. Rivera. BHMD will also be serving as owner’s representative throughout the duration of the project and will be responsible for project inspections and approvals. Design of the new vessel is being completed at Robert Allan, Ltd. of Vancouver, B.C.

While Z-Drive can still be considered a "revolutionary" design trait of today's tugboats, engineers aren't resting on their laurels. New technical standards being introduced are testimony to designers' creativity and imagination; and the functionality is improved, as well. The use of tugs with either Z-drive or VSP propulsion have led to much faster, safer and more efficient ship-assist operations, without fail, says Robert Allan, of the marine engineering firm, Robert Allan Ltd. In fact, he adds, some tug companies with Z-drive tugs have had insurance premiums lowered because of the reduced risk of them damaging an attended ship with better tugs. But in no way have tugs evolved to their highest achievable level. The birth of such innovative designs was not unexpected, says Allan.

Crowley Marine Services (CMS) took delivery of Nanuq, the first of two 153-ft., 10,192 hp enhanced tractor tugs from Crowley Maritime Corp. subsidiary Vessel Management Services. Nanuq and her sister vessel Tan'erliq have been specially designed and developed for CMS under contract with Alyeska Pipeline Service Company for tanker escort operations in Valdez Harbor and Prince William Sound, Alaska. Because of the intended service environment, these vessels were designed to demanding specifications as the most powerful cycloidal propulsion tugs ever built, capable of a bollard pull of 208,000 lbs., and a vessel speed of 14.5 knots. In sea trials, the vessel was found to deliver in excess of 210,000 lbs. of bollard pull and a top vessel speed of just under 16 knots.