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Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Towing Winches News

18 Nov 2025

Kongsberg Maritime to Power Med Marine’s Next-Generation Tugs with Advanced Thruster and Winch Technology

© Kongsberg Maritime

Kongsberg Maritime has signed a contract with Turkish shipbuilder and leading tugboat operator Med Marine to supply US series azimuth thrusters and a combination of electric and hydraulic towing winches for nine new tug designs. The agreement includes Med Marine’s new ‘VoltRA’ all-electric tug, which will be built at the company’s Ereğli Shipyard.The new contract covers the supply of eight shipsets of Kongsberg Maritime’s high-performance US255 azimuth thrusters for Med Marine’s RAmparts 2500-W and RAstar 3200-W tug designs.

15 Oct 2025

DMT Winches Further Presence in the United States with Delivery to Harbor Docking and Towing

© DMT Marine Equipment

DMT Marine Equipment has further reinforced its presence in the United States with the delivery of two towing winches to Harbor Docking and Towing, an operator in the harbor towage industry. Building on this successful collaboration, Harbor Docking and Towing has since placed two additional orders: one for two towing winches and another for two escort towing winches. “I’ve been extremely happy working with DMT so far. We asked a lot of questions, requested some adjustments to the drawings, and the team was very accommodating.

22 Jun 2024

RAL Tugs Delivered in the Philippine Navy

Image courtesy Robert Allan Ltd.

Robert Allan Ltd. said that YT 027 and AT 010, a RAmparts 2700 and RAmparts 3000-W respectively were delivered to the owner, the Philippine Navy, in May 2024. The tugs were built at Josefa Slipways Inc. in Sual, Philippines and are designed by Robert Allan Ltd. to provide support to the navy’s surface vessel fleet.Propulsion machinery of YT 027 consists of two MTU 12V4000M53 diesel engines rated at 1380 kW at 1800 rpm coupling with Schottel SRP 340 Z-drives with 2.1 m diameter…

10 Jun 2024

New Tugs Delivered to the Philippine Navy

(Photo: Robert Allan Ltd.)

The Philippine Navy in May accepted delivery of a pair of new tugs built at Josefa Slipways Inc. in Sual, Philippines.The vessels, YT 027 and AT 010, a RAmparts 2700 and RAmparts 3000-W respectively were designed by Robert Allan Ltd. to the navy’s surface vessel fleet.Propulsion machinery of YT 027 consists of two MTU 12V4000M53 diesel engines rated at 1380 kW at 1800 rpm coupling with Schottel SRP 340 Z-drives with 2.1 m diameter fixed pitch propellers.Propulsion machinery of AT 010 consists of two MTU16V4000M63 diesel engines rated at 1920 kW at 1600 rpm…

29 Apr 2024

McAllister Chooses Markey Winches for Newest ASD Tug

FILE PHOTO: Grace McAllister (Photo: McAllister Towing)

McAllister Towing recently ordered a Markey Machine winch and capstan for the fourth ASD tug of a class-build series being constructed at Washburn & Doughty Associates.Markey is providing a DEPCF-52-75 Class II bow hawser winch, which includes the Markey Render/RecoverⓇ system, a line-display screen and a stainless-steel brake drum. A two-speed CEW-60 electric capstan is also included.“Markey is consistently reliable, a great vendor to work with, and steady. We really wanted electric winches with infinitely-variable speed…

12 Dec 2022

Kongsberg to Supply Winches for 16 Tugs

(Image: Med Marine)

Kongsberg Maritime said it has signed a contract with Turkish tugboat builder Med Marine to deliver heavy duty, Escort Series towing winches for nine escort tugs equipped with azimuth stern drives (ASD).The order follows on from a contract signed earlier this year to supply winches for seven tugs.The new agreement brings the total number of Kongsberg’s winch supply contracts for Med Marine to 16 shipsets.

25 Feb 2020

Marine News' 2020 ATB Report

(Photo: Vane Bros.)

There’s a barge full of reasons why many operators turn to ATBs.A  mainstay of the U.S. coastwise dirty and refined products trades, articulated tug barges (ATB) have increasingly filled a void left as the fleet of Jones Act tankers (with crew complement requirements exceeding that of tugs) has aged out. With the cargo capacity of the larger ATBs – some with barges exceeding 300,000 barrels capacity – rivalling that of workhorse tankers that had served oil consuming regions, the concept certainly makes sense from a supply and distribution perspective.With 50…

06 Dec 2019

VOS Champion Starts New Charter

(Photo: Vroon Offshore Services)

Vroon Offshore Services reports its Singapore-managed anchor-handling tug supply (AHTS ) vessel VOS Champion has started a five-month contract with a major international oil and gas engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contractor. The firm period of the current contract will last until March 2020.VOS Champion, which had been under charter to Chevron earlier this year, was delivered to her new charterers in early November and immediately mobilized to Sandakan, Malaysia.

10 Jul 2019

Port of Luleå 36m Hybrid Icebreaker Tug Delivered

Photo: Robert Allan Ltd.

The powerful 36 meter hybrid icebreaker tug Vilja was delivered to her Owner, Port of Luleå, on June 26th, 2019 at Gondan Shipyard in Spain. On July 4th, Vilja arrived in Luleå and the crew was very satisfied with the first sailing experience and tug performance on the journey home. The vessel will soon be used for ice management, firefighting and navigation aids service duties in the Port of Luleå, Sweden and will assist ships and conduct coastal towing in the northern sector of the Gulf of Bothnia.Vilja is a 36 meter TundRA 3600–H, Icebreaking Escort Tug designed by Robert Allan Ltd.

18 Dec 2018

ASCO Shipyard Overhauls Turkmen Ship

“Bibi-Heybat” Shipyard of the Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company (ASCO) has overhauled the towing-supply vessel “CM. Rahil” owned by Turkmenistan. ASCO claimed that the overhaul was completed on time and with high quality.According to a press release, the main and auxiliary engine coolers, air pipes, engine generators, the electrical engine of auxiliary steering unit was repaired at the plant in the course of the works, and the testing of crane-beam of the lifeboat was undertaken.Along with this, the windlass unit located in the bow of the vessel has been overhauled; the hydraulic systems of the towing winches were replaced with the new ones.

26 Jul 2017

Baydelta Chooses Rapp Marine Electric Tow Winch

Photo: Rapp Marine

For several decades, Rapp Marine has designed and delivered towing winches for workboat market. Combining the best ideas from Rapp’s past work in the other commercial industries and recommendations from the tugboat operators, Rapp Marine has developed long lasting and dependable towing winches. These past towing winches have mainly been powered using hydraulic systems in the North American market. Rapp Marine has previously delivered electric winches to commercial vessels in other industries such as research, oil & gas, and fisheries for years.

24 Oct 2016

Rolls-Royce to Equip ECO’s New Tugs

Image: Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce has signed a contract with Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) worth more than $41 million to deliver propulsion and deck machinery for 13 new tugs, including five which will have a direct bollard pull of around 150 metric tons. The 13 tugs are being designed and built at Chouest-affiliated shipyards in the U.S. with support from Damen’s Technical Cooperation program. The five most powerful tugs will be 45 meters long and 17 meters wide, making them the world’s largest of their kind to date.

06 Oct 2015

Towering Damen Marine Components Hits 150‏

Damen Marine Components (DMC), the oldest company in Damen Shipyards Group, celebrates its 150th anniversary today. DMC has grown from a very small shipyard established in Gorinchem in 1865, to become the largest nozzle builder in the world. Via a live satellite link, around a 1,000 customers, employees, suppliers and colleagues, at its three main locations in Hardinxveld (the Netherlands), Jiangyin (China) and Gdańsk (Poland), will toast this historic occasion simultaneously. Although DMC’s own roots were established in 1865 when Jan van de Giessen set up a business from a small wharf in the ‘Kalkhaven’, the history of shipbuilding in the area actually dates back to the 14th century.

19 May 2015

Final LNG-proof Tug Delivered to Smit Lamnalco

SL Curtis Island (Photo: Smit Lamnalco)

Towage and marine services provider Smit Lamnalco has taken delivery of the SL Wiggins Island, the fifth and final tug purpose-built at Sanmar Shipyard in Turkey. The tugboats will service three LNG export terminals in the Port of Gladstone on Australia's east coast. The 80 metric tons bollard pull terminal support escort tug, will now make her way to Australian waters where she will join her sister vessels at the beginning of July. The first of the five-ship Robert Allan RAstar 3400 series - with modifications…

09 Feb 2015

Grupo CBO Selects Huisman Winch Packages

Photo courtesy of Huisman

In January 2015, Huisman, the worldwide specialist in lifting, drilling and subsea solutions, and Brazilian shipping company and shipyard group Grupo CBO, signed a contract for the delivery of four anchor handling and towing winch packages for four new Havyard 843 AHTS vessels. The winch packages will be built by Huisman’s new production facility in Navegantes, Brazil, and delivery is planned for 2016 and 2017. The winches will be delivered with 50% Brazilian content. The Havyard designed 843 AHTS vessels will be built by Estaleiro Aliança (2x) and Estaleiro Oceana (2x).

16 Dec 2014

Focus: Heavy Duty Lifting

Launched in 2012, the Rolls-Royce dual draglink crane has already been delivered to Farstad Shipping’s vessel Far Solitaire, one PSV under construction at Keppel Singmarine Brazil SA, as well as to four PSVs still under construction at Detroit Brasil shipyard, in Itajaì. Image: Rolls-Royce

Safely, efficiently lifting and handling increasingly heavy loads takes a hefty dose of the latest heavy lift products and systems. Rolls-Royce is a ubiquitous and growing force in all matters maritime, inching toward the one-stop-shop premise. It is particularly well known in the deck machinery sector, and it recently signed a deal with Detroit Chile SA to supply offshore cranes to nine PSVs under construction at Detroit Brasil Ltda. shipyard, in Itajaì, Brazil. The order includes nine ship sets of the dual draglink crane, making 18 cranes in total.

14 Oct 2014

MacGregor Secures Deck Machinery Orders from Sinopacific

the main dimensions of SPA85L have been optimized to meet the complex conditions of the South China Seas

MacGregor has signed a new series of deck machinery orders for 12 vessels with the China-based Sinopacific Shipbuilding Group. This builds on a track-record of contracts that now stands at 150 shipsets of equipment successfully delivered and installed at Sinopacific yards. The orders were booked into the third quarter 2014 order intake. "These orders demonstrate Sinopacific's confidence and satisfaction with MacGregor equipment and its services," said Francis Wong, Vice President, Segment Sales, MacGregor Offshore.

10 Sep 2014

MN 100: Markey Machinery Co. Inc.

President: Blaine W. Seattle-based Markey Machinery Company has roots in the marine and logging industries stretching as far back as the early 1900s. Founded by Charles Markey in 1907, the company has seen several generations of Markeys at its helm through more than 100 years of company growth. Today, led by Blaine W. Dempke and Robert A. LeCoque, the company’s primary focus lies in the manufacture, support and service of custom deck machinery for workboat, scientific and dockside applications.

17 Aug 2014

MacGregor's AHTs Equipment Package for Wuhu Xinlian

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has got an order from Wuhu Xinlian shipyard in China to supply a full package of MacGregor anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) equipment to two 150-tonne bollard pull AHTS/oil recovery vessels. The equipment is scheduled for delivery by May 2015 and an option remains for two more ship sets. "The contract was won as a direct result of MacGregor's recently extended product portfolio and its ability to offer competitive and highly technical advanced technology with strong lifetime support worldwide," says Francis Wong, Vice President, Segment Sales, Offshore. The scope of MacGregor equipment includes a medium-pressure anchor windlass/mooring winch, capstans, tugger winches, storage reels and a power pack.

30 Jan 2014

Foss is Upbeat on the Arctic

Foss Arctic Class bow Profile

Foss Maritime Builds New Ice-Class Tugs as it embarks on a new Arctic Challenge. To support growing Arctic business, Seattle-based Foss Maritime Company is building three ocean-going tugs at its Rainier Shipyard in Oregon on the Columbia River. These 132 feet-long, Ice Class vessels will have strengthened hulls designed to withstand the harsh, Arctic climate conditions into which they will eventually be deployed. Work on the tugs began in July, and the first in the series will be delivered in December 2014.

02 Aug 2013

JonRie Rolls Out New Auto Tow System

JonRie introduces its New ATS (Auto Tow System) for all its Series 500 Towing Winches. The new ATS (Auto Tow System) offers tug owners a complete solution to modern Open Ocean Towing. The JonRie ATS is an advanced compliment to the existing line of Towing Winch now offering a Constant Scope Tension Limiting device which will relieve tension on the tow line and when the tension is reduced the scope of the line will reclaim back to its original set scope point. As proven over many years of Towing this type of system adds an added safety factor to any tow.

20 May 2013

China Shipyards' MacGregor Order Bonanza

AHTS Fittted with MacGregor Winches

MacGregor offshore winches for 22 new anchor handling tug supply vessels (AHTSVs) under construction at three shipyards. MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has secured new offshore winch contracts from three Chinese shipyards, Fujian Southeast, Fuzhou Baima and Guangdong Yuexin Ocean Engineering. The winches are destined for 22 anchor handling tug supply vessels (AHTSVs) under construction for a number of international owners. "Our offshore winches have been specified for a run of new-series small and medium AHTSV developments in the 60m to 65m range…

20 May 2013

MacGregor Wins Multiple Offshore Winch Orders

MacGregor offshore winches have been specified for a run of new-series small and medium AHTSV development in the 60m to 65m range.

MacGregor offshore winches have been specified for 22 new anchor handling tug supply vessels (AHTSVs) under construction at three Chinese shipyards for several international owners. MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has secured new offshore winch contracts from three Chinese shipyards, Fujian Southeast, Fuzhou Baima and Guangdong Yuexin Ocean Engineering. The winches are destined for 22 anchor handling tug supply vessels (AHTSVs) under construction for a number of international owners.