Workboat News

Tuco Marine Group has entered into an agreement for the delivery of a new 11-meter ProZero Mission Master workboat to Kristiansand Municipality. The vessel has been procured by the municipality as part of its operational cooperation with the Norwegian Archipelago Service.The delivery marks the third time Tuco Marine has supplied ProZero workboats to municipalities operating within the framework of the Archipelago Service in Norway.The new ProZero 11 m Mission Master has been developed for demanding operations in the Norwegian archipelago…

After sustaining extensive damage in a December 2024 fire, the tug Lucinda Smith has returned to the water with a fresh start powered by Mitsubishi S12R-Y3MPTAW-3 Tier 3 engines rated at 1260HP @1600RPM each. The repower was completed by Windward Power with support from Laborde Products, giving the rebuilt vessel renewed strength and reliability for her work on the East Coast.Built in 1975 for the U.S. Navy as YTB-140, Lucinda Smith has sailed under multiple owners and through several repowers across the country.

Moran Towing Corporation acquired Bisso Towboat Co, as it aims to accommodate growing needs of New Orleans and the Lower Mississippi River communities.Moran was founded in 1860 and is privately owned and operated. It offers ship assist services in 17 ports along the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts and has operated in New Orleans since 2006. In addition to its ship assist business, Moran also services LNG terminals, and transports liquid and dry bulk cargo with its fleet of liquid and dry bulk barges. Bisso was founded in 1890 in New Orleans, and its headquarters remain in the area to this day.

SANMAR delivered a new escort tug to Greek operator NEMECA to join its fleet of tugboat proving services in the ports of Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Corfu and Kavala.Named GAIA by its new owners, the tug is based on the exclusive-to-SANMAR RAstar 2900SX design from Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd and is the first tug that SANMAR has built for a Greek client.NEMECA provides harbour towage, open sea towage and salvage services and can also provide vessels for anchor handling…

Jack Tanner Towing Company added the newbuild1368-HP Super Tiger workboat, M/V Miss Hazel, to its fleet. Built by Serodino, Inc. in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the vessel is powered by twin Mitsubishi S6R engines, each delivering 684 horsepower at 1800 RPM. The Miss Hazel will operate primarily around Havana, Illinois, supporting the company’s regional towing operations.The propulsion system includes Twin-Disc MG-5222 gears from Great Lakes Power, 5-inch sleeved shafts, and 52-inch Rice Propulsion four-blade propellers — delivering reliable thrust…

NYK has unveiled Japan’s first fully battery-driven work vessel, e-Crea (pronounced “éclair” for its visual resemblance to the French pastry).Keihin Dock Co., an NYK Group company, built the vessel at its Koyasu Shipyard.Designed without an onboard diesel generator, e-Crea will support the docking and undocking of tugboats at the Koyasu Shipyard.Powered solely by batteries charged from shore facilities at Keihin Dock’s Koyasu Shipyard, e-Crea operates without emitting carbon dioxide…

The more than half decade that has passed since the inception of the subchapter M towboat rule affords an up-close-and-personal look at how it is going. The scorecard is a mixed bag.More than six years ago, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) began inspecting towing vessels for compliance with the new towboat rules; specifically, 46 CFR Subchapter M. It has been a long road to compliance with many starts and stops, and much learning on both sides of the law.Has it been a success? If success is measured by Certificates of Inspection, then yes.

Sanmar ends 2024 strong with the launch of the first fully electric tugboat to operate in Latin America.Ordered by SAAM Towage, the new tug is based on the exclusive-to-Sanmar ElectRA 2500SX design from naval architects Robert Allan Ltd, and is the eighth fully electric tug Sanmar has built.The tug built for SAAM Towage measures 25.4 x 12.86m with a draft of 5.55m, and with a installed battery capacity 3,616 kWh can achieve a bollard pull ahead of at least 70 tonnes and a speed…

Schottel won an order to supply azimuthing thrusters for four new escort tugs for Seattle-based Saltchuk Marine, the beginning of the renewal of the Saltchuk fleet for operations on the US West Coast, Hawaii, and Alaska.To be built by Eastern Shipbuilding, the vessels are a RApport 2600 design by Canadian naval architect Robert Allan and will measure 25.6 x 12.8m with a 5.5-m draft. Accommodation will be provided for eight persons, and they will be operated by Foss Maritime.Each tug will be equipped with two azimuthing Schottel RudderPropellers of the type SRP 510 each.

ClassNK has classed the ammonia-fueled tugboat ‘Sakigake’ completed by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) and IHI Power Systems Co., Ltd. as an ammonia-fueled vessel. This is the world's first ammonia-fueled vessel for commercial use (as of August 23, 2024, according to research by NYK). The NYK Group company Shin-Nippon Kaiyosha will employ the vessel in tugboat operations in Tokyo Bay over a three-month demonstration period.This vessel was a Green Innovation Fund Project initiated…

Sanmar Shipyards is delivering a new tug for Targe Towing in Scotland. Known as BIGAÇAY Xl while under construction, the tug was renamed Camperdown by its new owners, and was on its way to its new home port of Aberdeen.Camperdown is based on the exclusive-to-Sanmar RAstar 2900SX from Robert Allan Ltd., primarily intended for demanding escort operations in exposed areas.Measuring 29.4 x 13.3m with a 5.5m molded depth and 5.75m design draft, the tug can achieve a minimum of 85 tonnes of bollard pull ahead and astern.

EST-Floattech will be providing the battery system for the purpose-built electric-landing utility vessel (E-LUV) to be built at Coastal Workboats’ new yard Stornoway. The company will also provide the shore-based power supply system.The collaboration with Coastal Workboats Scotland is realized due to Coastal Workboats receiving a £6 million (€7 million) grant to demonstrate the UK's first commercial electric workboat and charging station from the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition.The BV-classed E-LUV is set to be the UK's first commercial electric workboat.

A third battery electric tugboat built by Sanmar Shipyards in Türkiye has been delivered to HaiSea Marine,Canada. Haisea Brave is scheduled to work in Vancouver alongside its sisters HaiSea Wamis and HaiSea Wee'Git before all three – along with two Sanmar-built LNG-fuelled tugs – are transferred to LNG Canada’s new export facility in Kitimat, British Columbia.HaiSea Marine is a joint venture majority owned by the Haisla Nation in partnership with Seaspan ULC, that will provide…

Wabtec Corporation and Latin American Channel Partner, Marinsa International, signed a contract to supply the primary power for 10 new hybrid tractor tugboats for the Panama Canal Authority (ACP). Wabtec will deliver two 8L250MDA marine engines for each tugboat.“Wabtec is delighted to power the new hybrid Panama Canal tugs with the 8L250MDA marine engines,” said Tammy Gromacki, Wabtec’s Vice President of Marine, Stationary and Drill. “We are honored, through our partnership with Marinsa…

Contract signed with Uzmar to deliver TRAnsverse tugs following design collaboration between Robert Allan and SvitzerSvitzer, a part of A.P. Moller-Maersk, awarded a contract to Uzmar Shipyard to build two new TRAnsverse tugs for its Australian business.The TRAnsverse tugs are a tug design created in collaboration with Robert Allan Ltd, desgiend to deliver an estimated 10-15% reduction in fuel use and built to a specification that enables biofuel operations.When delivered, the…

Inland waterways, sometimes called ‘nature’s superhighways’ provide a strategic advantage related to security, economics, and trade for any nation whose geography, topography, and climate enable this natural infrastructure. Economic benefits are realized in small rural areas through large urban communities that utilize the system for efficient transportation and improved markets. However, deliberate operational, resource, and policy efforts, along with broad stakeholder integration, are required to maintain and operate such a system.

Sanmar Shipyards delivered a RAmparts 2400SX class Z-drive tug to Svitzer for its operations in the Dominican Republic.Dubbed Svitzer Rivas, this is the 27th tugboat that Sanmar has delivered to Svitzer, and is based on the exclusive-to-Sanmar RAmparts 2400SX design from Robert Allan Ltd.“Our operations in the Caribbean are key to Svitzer Americas and by expanding and modernising our fleet, we aim to further strengthen our position as the leading towage provider in the Caribbean…

The high-powered tug Spartan joined the Seabulk fleet, featuring a fully integrated hybrid propulsion plant from Berg Propulsion. The tug is already operational at Port Arthur following delivery by Master Boat Builders, and the Robert Allan-designed RApport 3000 vessel is the first of two 90-ton bollard pull tugs using the Berg package, with the second due in service in Q3 2022.In addition to Berg MTA 628 azimuthing thrusters, Berg VS3 variable frequency drives with motors, and its own hybrid control system…

The military force for the Kingdom of Bahrain purchased the self-propelled WorkFloat, a 12 x 6m WorkFloat platform which has the unique ability to fold up -- including all equipment -- and fit into a standard 40-ft. shipping container.The WorlkFloat platform is designed for a range of support tasks, with the version for Bahrain equipped with a 10-tm crane that can lift just under half a ton at 13m, a deck load capacity of over 10t, a 2t deck winch that can be used for mooring work…

A 12m workboat built by Strategic Marine has completed sea trials and was delivered to Tullow Ghana Limited.The vessel will be deployed to offshore deepwater projects in the Gulf of Guinea.To this end the vessel has been fitted with an advanced marine propulsion system, with waterjets designed to provide superior manoeuvrability.The workboat is designed to be launched and retrieved from a larger mothership with a single point lifting hook and will primarily perform line handling and crew transfer duties.

Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) applauded approval by the House Appropriations Committee (by a vote of 33 to 24) of strong funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22). The Committee provided overall funding for the Corps’ Civil Works Mission for FY22 at $8.66 billion, an increase of $863 million above FY21’s appropriated level, and $1.9 billion above the President’s FY22 budget request.“WCI is pleased that the House Appropriations Committee has increased funding for the Corps of Engineers’ critical work…

At Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld, a new model in the Damen Shoalbuster range -- the ultra-shallow Shoalbuster 3514 SD -- was christened Brutus by Mrs Mandy Heere-van Eijk, on behalf of tug and workboat company, Herman Sr.The Shoalbuster 3514 SD measures is 35 x 14 m with a free deck space of 150 sq. m. The vessel has a draft t of 2.85m at full tank capacity and just 2.45m at 50%, allowing it access to waters inaccessible to other vessels of a similar size and capability. Four Caterpillar C32 ACERT engines deliver a total of 3…

Sanmar delivered the second of two flagship twin sister tugboats to Seaspan.Built in 2016 at Sanmar Shipyards Altinova, Bogacay XI was renamed Seaspan Harrier by its new owners and left Turkey for its new home on Canada’s west coast on 15 April. Seaspan acquired the tug’s sister vessel Bogacay Vlll, which it renamed Seaspan Raptor, towards the end of 2020. Seaspan Raptor which was built in 2015, was initially operated by Sanmar in its own fleet. Also like its sister, it is making the 12…