Saltchuk Marine, the parent company of Foss Maritime and other West Coast towing companies, has ordered four 7,000-hp escort tugboats from Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG). The order marks the start of a long-term fleet renewal effort.
The 84-by-42-foot tugboats will be built to the RApports 2600 platform developed by Robert Allan Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia. They will be equipped with two 3,500-hp Caterpillar 3516E main engines paired with Schottel z-drives and outfitted with a Markey Class II hawser winch. The tugs will deliver an estimated 95 short tons of bollard pull.
The tugs also will be among the first in the United States built to comply with stricter emissions regulations enacted by the California Air Resources Board.
“The combination of the Robert Allan team’s naval architecture and engineering experience and ESG’s proven history of building best-in-class vessels will ensure that we continue to provide our customers with the most reliable service on the West Coast, Hawaii and Alaska,” Jason Childs, Saltchuk Marine’s president and CEO, said in a statement.
Joey D’Isernia, chairman and CEO of ESG, said the contract award demonstrates the shipyard’s capabilities in commercial vessel construction.
“Our team is dedicated to delivering high-quality, reliable vessels with industry-leading low life-cycle costs that meet stringent environmental standards and support our customer’s missions for many, many years,” D’Isernia said.
ESG has built 35 ship-assist tugboats over the last 20 years for numerous towing operators, including E.N. Bisso & Son, Bay-Houston Towing Co. and Suderman & Young Towing Co.
ESG plans to build the tugs at its Allanton and Port St. Joe shipyards. Deliveries are expected in 2026.