Tug News Roundup | August 22 – US pusher deliveries, Japanese electric vessel project and more
New inland pushers were recently delivered to two operators in the US while a harbour tug for use on the country's east coast has been launched into the water for the first time. A Canadian First Nations community has placed an order for an icebreaking tug. Finally, a Japanese towage company starts work on a battery-powered tug that would serve two major ports.
McAllister Towing's newest harbour tug hits the water
New York-based, family-owned vessel operator McAllister Towing and Transportation Company recently held a launching and naming ceremony for a new harbour tug.
Gerard McAllister was built Washburn and Doughty Associates of Boothbay, Maine. The tug belongs to the same series as Jane McAllister, which was also built by the same yard and handed over to McAllister Towing in 2023, and Isabel McAllister, which was launched earlier this year.
Canada's Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation orders icebreaking tug
The Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation of Ontario, Canada, has placed an order for a new icebreaking tug.
The community will use the tug to break ice on Lake Simcoe in southern Ontario during the colder months to enable its ferry service to operate for a longer duration each year, thus covering periods both earlier and later in the season.
Tokyo Kisen unveils battery-powered tug project
Japanese towage company Tokyo Kisen has begun a new project with the aim of developing a battery-powered harbour tug.
The tug will be fitted with a 6,660kWh battery pack that will drive two 1,500kW motors to deliver a speed of 14 knots and a bollard pull of approximately 53 tons.
The tug's planned completion date is 2030. Once in service, it will be operated at the ports of Kawasaki and Yokohama.
Golding Barge Line welcomes new pusher tug to fleet
Vicksburg, Mississippi-based Golding Barge Line has taken delivery of a new inland pusher tug built by Steiner Shipyard of Alabama.
Gage Golding was designed by Steiner Shipyard and Sterling Marine. It has a length of 94 feet (29 metres), a beam of 34 feet (10 metres), a depth of 12 feet (3.7 metres), and a retractable wheelhouse that will permit safe passage underneath bridges.
New pusher tug delivered to Marine Chartering Associates
Verret Shipyard of Louisiana recently handed over a new inland pusher tug to Marine Chartering Associates (MCA) of Houston, Texas.
The 1,500hp (1,100kW) Eunice will be operated by Strategic Towing Services on behalf of MCA. It measures 65 by 26 feet (20 by 7.9 metres) and is powered by two Cummins QSK19 engines that each produce 750 hp (560 kW) at 1,800 rpm. The engines drive propellers via Twin Disc gearboxes.
The wheelhouse can be lowered to enable passage underneath bridges.
