Foss Adds Two Tractor Tugs

Foss Maritime announced the addition of two tractor tugs to its Columbia River fleet, which will give the company more resources to serve a growing customer base at regional port facilities.

The first of these 4,400-horsepower tugs will begin river operations as early as November. 

Scott Merritt, Foss Maritime's Senior Vice President, Harbor Services, said, "The two high horsepower tractor tugs are in demand on the Columbia River due to larger ships calling on the region with new terminal and upriver construction projects and business growth in a variety of sectors."

Captain Dustin Johnson, Regional Operations Manager, Columbia Snake River, added, "Existing grain and port facilities are experiencing new levels of business - and there are several development projects along both the Columbia and the Snake that are in various stages of approval. By adding these two tractor tugs to our existing fleet we will be able to meet the needs of both existing and new customers."

The tugs are named the Tiger 8 and Tiger 9 and were built at the Kewalo Shipyard in Honolulu, Hawaii in 2009.

Tiger 8 will begin river work immediately upon arrival, while Tiger 9 will first be retrofitted to improve accommodations before going to work.

"The profiles of Tiger 8 and Tiger 9 complement the existing Foss Fleet on the Columbia," Johnson said. In addition to being 4,400 horsepower, the Tigers are 86 feet long, have a 34-foot beam and a draft of 14 feet. They have a transit speed of 12 knots and are equipped with Caterpillar 3516 Tier Two engines.

foss.com