Suderman & Young Towing Co has ordered a harbour tugboat from Master Boat Builders’ shipyard in Coden, Alabama, US
The Houston, Texas-headquartered owner is building up its towage capabilities in ports along the US Gulf coast with more newbuildings. It already has three tugboats on order from Master Boat Builders, being constructed to different designs to the latest new order.
“Suderman & Young is one of the premiere tugboat operators in the US and we are excited to continue partnering with them to provide another tugboat to serve the western Gulf Coast ports,” said Master Boat Builders president Garrett Rice.
This latest tugboat contract will be constructed to a Robert Allan Ltd design, ABS class and US Coast Guard Subchapter-M regulations.
It will have an overall length of 30 m, beam of 13 m and a bollard pull of more than 80 tonnes. It will feature two Caterpillar-manufactured main engines of type Cat 3516E.
These comply with EPA Tier 4 exhaust regulations and develop 2,610 kW to drive two Schottel Z-drive thrusters of type SRP 510, with fixed-pitch propellers in nozzles. Markey Machinery will supply a DEPCF-48-100 bow winch.
This tugboat is similar to one Master Boat Builders is building for Bay Houston Towing, which was ordered earlier in July.
Master Boat Builders is building another tug for Polaris New Energy (PNE), for a second LNG bunkering unit in the US, with Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding constructing the barge. They will form a second Jones Act-compliant articulated tug barge (ATB) for bunkering ships in Florida for PNE after completion in 2023.
Built in La Batre, Alabama, the tug will be similar to Polaris, which was delivered Q1 2022 to become an ATB with barge Clean Canaveral, employed by PNE to fuel LNG-powered cruise ships in Port Canaveral in Florida.
