Washburn Doughty News

If nothing else, building vessels in the U.S. is a complicated business.In a session on the domestic shipbuilding marketplace, at Marine Money’s 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 company’s architecture as a “three-legged stool approach: commercial newbuilds, government newbuilds and repair/conversion capabilities”.On the same panel…

New York based McAllister Towing announced it has taken delivery of its new shipdocking tractor tug Grace McAllister from East Boothbay, Maine shipyard Washburn & Doughty.Equipped with 3516E Tier IV Caterpillar engines powering twin Schottel SRP 490 Z-drive units, the 93- by 38-foot vessel produces 6,770 horsepower and achieved over 85 metric tons during bollard pull certification. Markey winches are installed on the tug's bow and stern.Grace McAllister has received Low Emission Vessel class notation from ABS.

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 “Beyond the Horizon: View of the Emerging Energy Value Chains”, the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) explains that, “During the recent 80th meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 80)…

The November edition of Marine News magazine highlighted a selection of the most notable American newbuilds delivered of 2023—from a first-of-its-kind green towboat, to the lead vessel in a series of game-changing ships to train U.S. mariners.Empire StateAs the lead vessel in a series of five new training ships being constructed to serve America's state maritime academies, Empire State is easily one of the most important U.S.-built vessels delivered in recent memory.Built by Philly Shipyard for the U.S.

Bristol, R.I. based naval architecture and marine engineering firm Bristol Harbor Group, Inc. (BHGI) has been selected by Casco Bay Lines (CBL), located in Portland, Maine, to provide naval architecture and marine engineering services for the evaluation and design of a new sub-chapter K passenger/vehicle ferry that will be operated year round in the coastal waters of Casco Bay.The new vessel will replace the 98-foot-long, 399-passenger Maquoit II, built by East Boothbay, Maine shipbuilder Washburn & Doughty in 1994.BHGI said it will be responsible for developing a preliminary design report…

McAllister Towing announced its new tug Jane McAllister has entered service as one of the most advanced and powerful shipdocking tractor tugs operating in the Port of Virginia.Recently delivered from East Boothbay, Maine shipbuilder Washburn & Doughty, the 6,770 horsepower vessel is equipped with 3516E Tier IV Caterpillar engines powering twin Schottel SRP 490 Z-drive units. The 93- by 38-foot tug features Markey winches on the bow and stern and achieved over 91 short tons during…

A Maine State Ferry Service vessel was damaged after running aground off the coast of Vinalhaven on August 16.The car and passenger ferry Captain Richard G. Spear was pulling away from Vinalhaven to start a trip to Rockland shortly after 10:30 a.m. when it grounded. There were 65 passengers and five crew members on board at the time of the incident. No injuries were reported.MaineDOT, which runs the MSFS, said its employee who was captaining the ferry at the time of the incident…

New Canaan, Conn. based towage provider Moran Towing Corporation announced it has ordered another pair of tugs from Coden, Ala. shipbuilder Master Boat Builders for delivery through 2025.The newbuilds, developed by Moran in collaboration with Vancouver, B.C. naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd., are RApport 2800 escort tugs designed to provide more than 80 metric tons of bollard pull. At 92 feet and with a breadth of 40 feet, the tugs will rank among the largest and most powerful in Moran's fleet, slated to help handle the larger, deeper draft vessels calling ports along the U.S.

With travel and tourism nearing pre-2020 levels, and transit systems benefiting from a return to work, passenger vessels have seen renewed activity. In its year-end review, John Groundwater, Executive Director of the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA), which advocates for the sector in Washington, D.C. wrote: “As we are nearing the end of the calendar year, we are delighted to report that our industry, and our members, are reporting far and wide that they have experienced very…

McAllister Towing announced on Thursday it has signed a contract for the construction of two new tugs to be built at Washburn & Doughty Associates (W&D) in East Boothbay, Maine, with an option for two additional vessels.The 93- by 38-foot tractor tugs will each offer 84 metric tons bollard pull, further enhancing McAllister’s East Coast fleet with the ability to service its customers largest ships and bring McAllister’s tractor fleet to 39 tugs with a total of over 182,000 horsepower…

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.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) announced it has taken delivery of its new 118-foot icebreaking tug, the Seaway Guardian, in Massena, N.Y. Built by Gulf Island Shipyards in Houma, La., the vessel is the first new tug to join SLSDC since the Seaway opened 61 years ago.The new $24 million tug will primarily be used for buoy maintenance and ice management on the St. Lawrence Seaway, replacing the long-serving 62-year-old Robinson Bay, which the SLSDC will maintain as backup.

McAllister Towing announced Tuesday it has taken delivery of a newly built 6,770-horsepower shipdocking tug, Eileen McAllister, slated to enter service in Port Everglades, Fla.The 34th tractor tug in McAllister’s fleet, Eileen McAllister was built by Washburn & Doughty in Maine and set sail for its new home port following delivery on Monday.The 93- by 38-foot newbuild is powered by 3516E Tier IV Caterpillar engines with twin Schottel SRP 490 Z-drive units and Markey winches, achieving more than 84 metric tons during ABS bollard pull certification.

German propulsion manufacturer SCHOTTEL said it has been selected to equip a newly built harbor tugboat for the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) with medium-sized azimuth thrusters. The vessel is under construction at the U.S. shipyard Washburn & Doughty in Maine. The HT-60, the smallest in the harbor tug series developed by the Seattle-based naval architecture firm Glosten, is scheduled for delivery in 2021.Craig Middlebrook, Deputy Administrator of the SLSDC, said, “This new vessel will be used to carry out a variety of construction and maintenance duties for the U.S.

The Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) has placed an order for a newbuild ASD (Z-drive) harbor tug to be delivered by Washburn & Doughty Associates, Inc. of East Boothbay, Maine.Craig Middlebrook, Deputy Administrator of the SLSDC, said, “This new vessel will be used to carry out a variety of construction and maintenance duties for the US portion of the St. Lawrence Seaway, including routine maintenance of lock gates, maintenance and positioning of aids to navigation…

A ‘work in progress,’ the North American brown water, shallow draft sectors have experienced a tumultuous year of evolution, changing market conditions, a rapidly shifting regulatory environment and new opportunities. Anything but boring; and within the pages of Maritime Reporter’ & Engineering News’ Annual Yearbook, Joseph Keefe, editor of sister-publication MarineNews, takes a deep dive into the issues driving the domestic waterfront.Workboat EmissionsMore than one year ago, Volkswagon learned the ultimate (and painful) meaning of the iconic U.S. adage of “Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time – or at least pay the staggering fine.” And pay it forward, Volkswagen did.

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.

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…

McAllister Towing selected Schottel to provide propulsion units for a new-built escort and harbor tug. The tug, under construction at Washburn & Doughty, will feature a pair of Schottel type SRP 490 Rudderpropellers  with an input power of 2,525 kW each, delivering an expected bollard pull of about 82 tons.The contract continues a relationship between the iconic American tug company and the German maritime propulsion maker, and in fact it was more than 30 years ago that McAllister was Schottel’s first towing customer in the U.S.

More than $20 million in grant funding has been awarded to support capital improvement projects at 29 small shipyards in 22 states across the U.S.The funding, awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) Small Shipyard Grant Program, supports capital improvements that foster increased efficiency and economic growth.“These grants are an investment in our country’s small shipyards and will help create good jobs for America’s workers,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L.

East Boothbay, Maine based Washburn & Doughty said it has secured a contract with Harbor Docking and Towing, of Lake Charles, La., to design and build two 93’ x 38’ Hybrid Z Drive Tugs. The 93’ x 38’ hull is a proven design with 18 tugs in operation and 4 under construction. The vessel will be built as a Harbor Assist Vessel as defined in USCG Subchapter M and admeasure less than 200 gross tons U.S. regulatory tonnage. Caterpillar Marine will provide a ‘stem-to-stern’ Cat content hybrid propulsion system, with support from both Milton Cat and Louisiana Cat in the sales effort. The hybrid propulsion system scope includes 3512E (2,550 HP @ 1…

JonRie Marine Winches supplied its fifth ship set of full bollard pull winches to New York’s McAllister Towing for installation on its new tug, Tate McAllister. The 92-foot x 32-foot Z-Drive tug was designed and built by Washburn & Doughty of East Boothbay, Maine. The 6,000-horsepower tug, with a bollard pull of 90 tons, is the latest addition to the McAllister fleet. The JonRie Series 250 escort winch was designed to handle the full bollard pull of the vessel in the recover mode.

Proliferation of energy related transport continues to drive commercial U.S. As the United States aims towards energy independence by the end of this decade, domestic shipyards and vessels owners are reaping rewards from this most unexpected turn of events. Hydraulic Fracturing, or fracking, has been the main (and well publicized) culprit in the rapid turn of events. While the proliferation of gas has been widely known for years, the presence of oil, in quantity, was a pleasant…