American Tugboat Review – Professional Mariner

Steady fleet renewal efforts keep new tugboat orders coming

Moran Towing is one of the largest tugboat operators in the United States, with more than 85 tugs in commercial service operating in 17 ports. That fleet will collectively be younger, more powerful and more comfortable for crews following a surge in new vessel orders. Over the last year, the company has taken delivery of four new 86-foot tugboats from…

The towing industry’s transition to synthetic rope

The U.S. towing industry has seen some major technology transitions throughout its history, such as the move from coal-fired steam to diesel propulsion, the change from whistle signals to radio communications and the advent of azipods and cycloidal drives for increased maneuverability. Another of these transitions was the change from natural fiber rope to synthetic lines made of nylon and…

Pungent ammonia offers enticing carbon-free propulsion possibilities

The quest for reduced- or zero-carbon propulsion has sparked extensive research and innovation within the maritime industry. One possible solution to the challenge of maritime emissions is the use of ammonia as a fuel source. Ammonia, which contains no carbon, can be used as a source of combustion for large-scale marine engines. It also can be used to generate electricity…

Overview: Shipyards seeing new equilibrium following challenging post-Covid years

Big-name ship-assist operators have restarted fleet renewal programs. Regional towing companies are once again looking to build. Projects that have sat on the shelf are now going under contract. After three difficult years for shipyards and the tugboat operators considering whether to invest in their fleets, a sense of calm is returning to the harbor tugboat market. Although prices for…

2024 Tugboat of the Year: eWolf

Crowley’s electric tugboat signals cleaner future for U.S. towing fleet eWolf will begin assisting ships in San Diego this spring Crowley Capt. Joshua Ferguson eased eWolf off the dock in the Port of San Diego, spun the vessel 180 degrees and glided toward San Diego Bay. The first electric-powered tugboat in the United States remained eerily quiet as it accelerated…

Signet Sirius turns heads — and tankers — at Corpus Christi terminal

Signet Sirius | Signet Maritime, Houston, Texas Signet Maritime has developed a powerful and highly capable tugboat series designed specifically to escort and maneuver some of the largest oil tankers on Earth. The 7,725-hp Signet Sirius and its forthcoming sister vessel, Signet Capella, were built using the Robert Allan Ltd. Advanced Rotortug (ART) design. The platform features three azimuthing drives,…

Kirby sets a greener course with first U.S. plug-in hybrid pushboat

Green Diamond | Kirby Inland Marine, Channelview, Texas Kirby Inland Marine set a new standard for clean propulsion on the inland waterways with the arrival of Green Diamond, the first plug-in hybrid towboat operating in the United States. The 73.5-foot “eco tug” features a hybrid propulsion system with Corvus Energy lithium-ion batteries, Caterpillar C18 generators, Danfoss electric motors and specialized Reintjes…

TVA hits ‘grand slam’ with first Tier 4 line-haul towboat

Freedom |Tennessee Valley Authority, Muscle Shoals, Ala. Almost four years ago, during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) began developing its first new towboat in almost 40 years. The government-owned electric utility based in Knoxville, Tenn., didn’t need 10 new boats or even three. It just needed one. And that one towboat had to…

Bay-Houston Towing adds right-sized tugboat to growing Texas fleet

Eden k | Bay-Houston Towing, Houston, Texas Bay-Houston Towing has completed a versatile tugboat series designed to handle ships within the Houston Ship Channel. The 4,426-hp Eden K is the third tugboat in the series of RApport 2600 tugboats designed by Robert Allan Ltd. and built by Master Boat Builders. The 85-by-38.5-foot Eden K delivers 54 metric tons of bollard pull and can hit…

The Great Lakes Towing Company marks another delivery and eyes an electric future

Minnesota | The Great Lakes Towing Company, Cleveland, Ohio The Great Lakes Towing Company’s multiyear fleet renewal program took another step forward in late 2023 with delivery of the 64-foot Minnesota. The 2,000-hp tugboat is the eighth delivery in the 10-boat Cleveland class that went under construction in 2017. Each tug is built using the Damen Stan Tug 1907 Ice…