Bay-Houston Towing Company of Texas recently held a formal naming ceremony for two tugs that have been delivered to the company.
George M was delivered in 2021 following completion at Gulf Island Shipyards (now part of Bollinger Shipyards) in Louisiana, while May Louise entered service in 2024 after being delivered by Master Boat Builders of Alabama.
Although built by different yards, the tugs are sisters, utilising the same design developed by Canadian naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd in compliance with ABS class rules.
Each tug measures 98.5 feet ( metres) by 42.75 feet ( metres). Power for each tug is provided by two Caterpillar 3516E US EPA Tier IV-compliant diesel engines that drive Schottel fixed-pitch propellers fitted in azimuthing thrusters.
The propulsion arrangement on each tug includes a selective catalytic reduction system and delivers a bollard pull in excess of 93 tonnes.
The equipment on each tug includes Markey electric winches and a Fifi1 setup consisting of two FFS pumps.