Shipbuilding News July 2021

Crowley adds versatile ATBfor Alaska service
For the second year in a row, Crowley has added a new articulated tug-barge to work inthe Alaska market.   

The 410-foot ATB includes the tugboatAuroraand 55,000-bbl barge Qamun.Master Boat Builders of Alabama delivered the tug, while Gunderson Marine of Portland built the barge.   

The two vessels entered service in summer 2021for Crowley Fuels, which transports and delivers petroleum products to customers across Alaska.   

“This purpose-built vessel was specifically designed by our in-house naval architects to safely and effectively operate in the Last Frontier, and especially in the remote regions of western Alaska year-round,” Ray Martus, vice president, Crowley Engineering Services, which oversaw design and construction, said in a statement. 

The ATB is powered by twin Tier 4 GE engines andSchottelz-drives, while the barge has an omnidirectionalSchottelthruster.The ATBhas arangeof4,300 miles, allowingCrowleyto service remote regions and isolatedcommunities. Its shallow draftletsthe ATB travel well up the Kuskokwim River in Western Alaska.It also meets Ice class and Polar Code requirements.   

Crowley Fuels welcomed theATB tugAveoganand100,000-bbl bargeOliver Leavittlast summer. The two vesselswork under contract withthe Alaska refineryPetro Star. 

 

Galveston-Texas City Pilots order new launch
Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding announced a new contract with the Galveston Texas-City Pilots on a new launch scheduled for delivery in late 2022.   

The 73-by-22-footaluminumvessel will draft just under 6 feetand feature the Ray Hunt Design deep-V hull form.Propulsion will come from three 800-hp Volvo Penta D13 dieselspaired with Volvo Penta’s IPS propulsion system.Its top speed will exceed 30 knots.   

The wheelhouse will be equipped withsix seats, a settee and table, while the forecastle will have two berths and a head.Six air conditioning units will keep the vessel cool during blazing hot Texas summers. Electrical power will come courtesy of two Phasor gensets.   

The vessel will have port and starboard loading platforms, and a Harken safety rail systemon the wheelhouse handrailsfor fall protection during the ship boarding and disembarking process.   

 

C&C Marine and Repairdelivers 6,600-hp towboat
Kirby Inland Marine has taken delivery of a 6,600-hp towboat built in Belle Chasse, La., by C&C Marine and Repair.   

CT Marine of Portland, Maine, designed the 170-by-39-foot triple-screw vessel, which is a near sister to lead tugScarlett Rose Furlongoperated by Hines Furlong Line of Nashville.   

Propulsion comes from three Cummins QSK60-M mainenginesturning100-inch fixed-pitch props throughReintjesWAF 1173 reduction gears. Three Cummins gensets provide electrical power.   

Theforward superstructure sits atop a bed of springs to reduce vibration and engine noise. The vessel has accommodations for 11 crew and oneguest. A third vessel in the series is expected for delivery later this year.   

 

National Park Service adds utility boat to New York fleet
Aluma Marine of Harvey, La., deliveredthe 74-footAnnie Mooreto the National Park Service for use in Greater New York City.   

The vessel,designed by TAI Engineersof New Orleans under a design-build contract, is named for thefirst person to sign the immigrant register at Ellis Island. Moore was a 15-year-old from Ireland when she arrived in the United States.   

The steel vessel is designed to carryofficial passengers, cargo and supplies to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty from Battery Park in Manhattan. It has seating for 40, with a galley on the main deckand a knuckle boom crane for lifting heavy cargo. 

Propulsion comes from twin Caterpillar C18 engines. Thesteel hull is reinforced with an ice belt, and the reduction gears, propellers and rudders are strengthened to operate in icy conditions. 

 

Bollinger deliversfast response cutter to U.S. Coast Guard
The U.S. Coast Guard haswelcomed the USCGCEmlenTunnellto its fleet of fast response cutters(FRC).The new ship is the 45thsuch vessel Bollinger has delivered to the Coast Guard under its current build program. 

EmlenTunnell, named for a Coast Guard hero and Hall of Fame NFL football player, will be based in Manama, Bahrain, supporting Patrol Forces Southwest Asia. The new ship is the fourth of six new FRCs that will be based in the region, where they support maritime security efforts.   

Bollinger built the 110-foot Island class cutters currently stationed in Bahrain30 years ago, the company said in a news release. 

The Coast Guard is building up to 64 of the 154-foot fast response cutters to replace the smaller Island class vessels. The new ships are capable ofmore than 28 knots, operate with 24 crew and have a 2,500-nautical mile range. Their endurance at sea is five days.   

Tunnell, who was born and raised near Philadelphia, saved two shipmates during separate actions, one in 1944 in World War II in the South Pacific, andonein Canada in 1946. In 1948, he became the first Black player signed by the New York Giants football team. He was enshrined in the NFL Hall of Fame in 1967.

By Professional Mariner Staff