Vane Brothers fleet expansion continues

Vane Brothers has taken delivery of the tugboat Delaware. The Delaware is the fourth of eight vessels in Vane’s Elizabeth Anne-class of 3,130kW tugboats contracted through St. Johns Ship Building in Palatka, Florida. Next up is the Philadelphia, scheduled for delivery in February. The remaining three Elizabeth Anne-class tugboats are expected to arrive in intervals before year’s end.

Designed by Frank Basile of Entech Designs, the Delaware is a steel-hulled, model bow tug measuring 30.5 metres long with a 10.4 metre beam and four metre draught. She utilises two Caterpillar 3516 Tier 3 engines, each generating 1,565kW at 1,600rpm. Two John Deere PowerTech 4045, 99kW generators deliver service power to the boat; a third John Deere 4045 drives the Intercontinental DD200 towing winch.

Primarily tasked with towing petroleum barges engaged in the North Atlantic coastwise trade, the Delaware is one of two dozen vessels that make up the company’s Philadelphia-based Echo Fleet. The three previous Elizabeth Anne-class tugboats, all of which were delivered in 2016, are among 20 vessels assigned to Vane’s Delta Fleet, also working out of Philadelphia. Vane has approximately 50 tugboats and 80 barges operating out of seven locations along the US East Coast.