Crowley has been awarded the design and production contracts for a 92' Tier IV ship assist tugboat from Crescent Towing, New Orleans.
The new tug design offers enhancements from the existing Crowley Engineering Services-designed tugs Crescent operates, including additional horsepower that increases the vessel’s capability to meet demanding operational requirements, Crowley said.
The new tug, currently under contruction at Blakeley BoatWorks, Mobile, Ala., will feature twin Caterpillar 3516E Tier IV engines providing 80 tons of bollard pull and a combined 6,000 hp, adding nearly 700 more horsepower.
Crowley Engineering Services said it will also provide the shipyard production package to improve efficiency of vessel construction and allow for more modern, modular and efficient construction. Crescent plans to add the new tug to its Mississippi River ship assist fleet. According to its website, Crescent currently operates three tugs in Mobile, 16 tugs in New Orleans, and five tugs in Savanah, Ga.
Upon completion, Crescent will operate the new tug in New Orleans. This is the eighth Crescent Towing tug design provided by Crowley Engineering Services and the second to be built by Blakeley BoatWorks.
“We are thrilled to continue to work alongside Crescent Towing and Blakeley BoatWorks, building on the success of our previous tugboat designs,” Coulston Van Gundy, vice president of Crowley Engineering Services, said in a statement. “Through collaboration on the design and production engineering, we are able to integrate operator requirements into the vessel’s production process, providing a seamless construction process for the shipyard.”
