Professional Mariner – American Tugboat Review 2026

Repeat and refine: An industry overview with the president of Robert Allan Ltd.

Many of the vessels featured in this year’s American Tug Review are part of repeat-build programs or “standardized” tug platforms, though that label means different things throughout the industry. Even as new tug construction remains sluggish, some operators are adding between five and 11 vessels over a remarkably short span. This year’s review ranges from series-built escort tugs for East…

LA-area hybrid tug fleet tests commercial case

The Port of Los Angeles, the nation’s busiest container gateway, has long symbolized both the scale and environmental cost of containerized commerce. In the region that first made much of America aware of smog, maritime decarbonization may be taking shape at the harbor’s edge: an eight-vessel hybrid-electric tugboat program that developers say would be the largest commercial fleet of its…

Wisecracks and hard truths from the wheelhouse

Capt. Jeremy Harris took his time making coffee in the galley of Grace McAllister. He cracked jokes and methodically worked through the steps at the espresso machine before finally handing over a well-crafted cup. “Is your coffee to your liking?” Capt. Harris asked. It was, rivaling many of the high-end baristas dotted throughout nearby New York City. Three decades earlier,…

Silverback’s truckable tug shrinks power and pull of ASD vessel into a miniaturized platform

At a time when tugboats are getting bigger and more powerful, it’s a miniaturized, high-powered vessel that’s proving size isn’t always the point — and that smaller may, in some cases, make more sense. This spring, Silverback Marine delivered the first vessel of its truckable z-drive tug “OX” series to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. At 25 by 16…

Moran’s next-generation class for New York and beyond

“Welcome to my spaceship,” the captain said as he welcomed Professional Mariner into the wheelhouse of his tugboat, Thomas C Moran, one of three identical new Moran vessels working in the port of New York/New Jersey since fall 2025. William E Moran was the first of the class, Thomas C Moran, the second, followed by Newt Moran. J Themistoclis Moran…

Saltchuk’s new Dolphin+ series looks to the future

Saltchuk Marine’s long-running fleet renewal program has produced a new class of 3,500-hp escort tugs designed for California emissions uncertainty and the next generation of larger ships. Built by Eastern Shipbuilding Group, the four-vessel program will supply new escort tugs to Saltchuk subsidiaries AmNav and Foss Maritime, two of the largest ship-assist operators on the U.S. West Coast. Pacific Pride,…

Hines Furlong grows fleet with comfort-focused towboat series

Hines Furlong Line is well into an 11-vessel newbuild program as the inland operator renews its fleet and expands its operating and business footprint, reflecting a broader inland trend toward disciplined growth. Five towboats have already been delivered, with additional units scheduled through 2027. It’s been a long time in the making. Conversations about the newbuild program started more than…

Shaver’s new tug enters old river system facing bigger ships and harder demands

“It’s quite a powerful package in a small boat,” Jeff Johnson, a senior captain at Shaver Transportation Company, said of the new Portland, Ore.-based tug Heather S. Delivered last October, the 79-by-40-foot ASD vessel packs 7,000 hp and has “plenty of power to handle the bigger-draft ships that we’re getting nowadays,” Johnson said. More than 100 miles inland from the…

Al Sloss blends serial build with custom fit

Louisiana yards are building inland towboats in serial numbers, but each vessel remains heavily engineered around owner needs, regulations and operational profile. Consider the case of Al Sloss. In January, C&C Marine and Repair delivered the 87-by-34-foot, 2,600-hp inland towboat to Canal Barge Company as the first vessel in a four-boat newbuild series that is part of a wider 10-boat…

McAllister repeats a winning tug formula

When Professional Mariner contacted McAllister Towing’s spokesperson about profiling one of the company’s newest tugs, they replied, “The thing about the boats now is that they’re all kind of the same. Our captains love them, our clients love them and the crew really loves them — they’re very comfortable boats. What is there to write about?” In this case, uniformity…