Perhaps not surprisingly, one of the first EPA Tier 4 emissions-compliant tugboats is destined for California, a state where residents and regulators are passionate about clean air.
JT Marine in Vancouver, Wash., is building the 110-foot Caden Foss, named after Caden Hansen, a great-great-grandson of company founders Andrew and Thea Foss. Foss Maritime has chartered the 6,772-hp azimuth stern drive (ASD) vessel, owned by Vessel Chartering LLC, a subsidiary of Baydelta Navigation Ltd. Delivery is scheduled for late June 2017.
Caden Foss is a multipurpose tugboat designed and equipped for standby, ship-assist and escort assignments. It is also available for rescue towing. The vessel will work from Chevron Long Wharf in Richmond, Calif., for Foss client and energy giant Chevron.
“Chevron committed to put a Tier 4 tugboat into service as part of the Richmond Refinery Modernization Project approved by the city of Richmond in 2014, so that was the driver for us to look for a Tier 4 boat,” said Foss Chief Operating Officer Scott Merritt.
Foss worked to develop a tugboat design that could be built quickly and also meet Chevron’s specifications and deadlines. Within days of choosing a shipyard, Foss learned about the Tier 4 tug Vessel Chartering was building on spec at JT Marine.
Merritt said the vessel was similar to the one Foss designed but with several improvements. Given the good business history between Foss and Vessel Chartering, as well as the capabilities and delivery date of the spec vessel, Foss decided to charter it for three years with an option to buy.
“It gave us a little more comfort in the timeline, but also, in our minds, provided a little bit better platform for what we wanted to do. So it was kind of a win-win,” Merritt said.
Jensen Maritime Consultants and Vessel Chartering jointly designed Caden Foss, which is essentially a stretched version of Jensen’s proven 100-foot ASD tug. Initially, the tug will assist and escort tankers to and from San Francisco Bay refineries. Merritt is confident in the design.
Denne historien er fra American Tugboat Review 2017-utgaven av Professional Mariner.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra American Tugboat Review 2017-utgaven av Professional Mariner.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Mariner's role still unknown as autonomous shipping gains speed
Mariners’ role still unknown as autonomous shipping gains speed
Piracy edges closer to home with wave of raids in southern Gulf
In the brief cellphone video recorded by a crewmember on the offshore supply vessel (OSV) Remas, the pirates walk back and forth on the deck of the ship, clenching their guns and using them to point as they order around the crew. Their faces are draped in clothing and bandanas.
Casualties
NTSB: Dredge hit Texas gas pipeline, causing fire that killed four
IMO emissions report raises new concerns about methane slip
A recent report from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) reveals that global shipping emissions increased nearly 10 percent from 2012 to 2018, with the industry facing a growing challenge concerning methane slip.
Bay State brothers find industry niche by making old into new
Zero non-conformities is what you want to hear when the U.S. Coast Guard inspects your tugboat. Once you’ve prepared your vessel, the inspectors come aboard to peruse your paperwork. They ask you pointed questions, to which they expect straightforward answers. Perusal completed, they then scrutinize all of the related safety systems, from bilge to antennas — even the ship’s bell.
Signals
A year into the pandemic, thousands ‘essentially indentured’ on ships
Analysis points to faulty loading, low ballast in Golden Ray rollover
While the salvage of the sunken vehicle carrier Golden Ray has been delayed for months due to COVID-19 and the hurricane season, analysis by the U.S. Coast Guard has determined a possible cause for the rollover: a combination of vehicles placed too high on the ship’s decks, and not enough ballast water gave the placement of the cargo.
Seastreak newcomer pushing through dip in demand
Two years ago, Seastreak LLC took delivery of Seastreak Commodore, a 600-passenger fast ferry, from Gulf Craft of Franklin, La. Designed by Australia-based Incat Crowther, the vessel is the largest of its kind in the United States and was built to meet the burgeoning demand for service in the New York-New Jersey market.
New year in a new world: Navigating COVID's maritime realities
In a matter of days, the decorative time balls will drop, “Auld Lang Syne” will fill the air, and ships at anchor will sound their horns as the world welcomes in the new year.
Advanced props, rudders provide new efficiencies below the waterline
It took a decade or two from the invention of the marine propeller in the 19th century for the technology to become widely accepted. Thereafter, adoption has been nearly universal, but progress toward improved efficiencies has come in fits and starts.
