Brusco Tug & Barge, Longview, Wash., has signed an agreement to build a pair of Robert Allan Ltd. designed 78'x40'x14' tugs at Diversified Marine Inc. The new boats will be the 9th and 10th Robert Allan designed tugs built at Diversified Marine for Brusco Tug & Barge. The three companies have a history dating back to 1999, when Brusco ordered their first Robert Allan RApport series tug, the Wynema Spirit.
Jim Hyslop, manager of project development and principal at Robert Allan has been involved with many of the Brusco builds. “Brusco has been a great, longtime customer of Robert Allan Ltd. We are pleased to see their fleet of RAL tugs continue to grow. The RApport 2500 series is a remarkable vessel and we look forward to the upcoming projects,” Hyslop said in a statement announcing the building of the new tugs.
He also noted the relationship with Diversified Marine has been a major benefit in the build process. “We are always happy to work with DMI because of the quality of work they put out and their familiarity with Robert Allan designs.” Diversified Marine has worked with Robert Allan for over 20 years and is the number 1 builder of Robert Allan tugs in the U.S. The two tugs will be sisterships of the first RApport 2500 built in the U.S., the Noydena (Chartered to Crowley and renamed the Hercules).
The tugs, which have a 17' navigational draft, will be powered by two Caterpillar 3516E Tier 4 main engines. Each of the tugs in the three-build series will have more power than the last. The Noydena, delivered earlier this year, boasted 6,008 hp with 89-ton bollard pull. The second tug will deliver 6,302 hp and the third 6,772 hp and an anticipated bollard pull in the mid to high 90-ton range. The Z-drives on the second tug will be the first in the U.S. from Berg Propulsion, who recently acquired Caterpillar’s propulsion unit. The Berg Z-drives will be MTA 628 units with Berg controls in the pilot house. Prior to the acquisition, Diversified Marine was the number 1 shipyard for installations of Caterpillar propulsion systems, according to shipyard officials
Barrett Carpenter, marine sales engineer at Peterson Power Systems, views Diversified Marine and customers like Brusco as a priority. “DMI is a titan in the industry when it comes to building tugs. Kurt Redd and Bo Brusco are always looking for ambitious projects that push the limits of what is possible. It’s a lot of fun to work with customers that really like to move the needle. DMI installed the first CAT propulsion systems in the U.S. and the first Cat Tier 4 marine engines. Peterson Power Systems will represent Berg Propulsion and our marine team is looking forward to installing the first Berg units in the U.S. at DMI. Caterpillar is proud of the Noydena’s performance and is eager to see the performance of the next two Brusco boats.”
Stefan Sedersten, CEO of Berg Propulsion, looks forward to delivering the first U.S. Berg units. “I am aware Diversified Marine has been a highly valued customer to Caterpillar Propulsion and I look forward to developing the relationship between Berg Propulsion and Diversified Marine.”
Markey Machinery will be outfitting the bow of both tugs with DEPC-52, 75-hp, single drum, electric hawser winches. The winch features Markey’s Render / Recover package which automatically adjusts scope to maintain a preset line tension. The tug will also feature fire-fighting capability with a Carver fire pump capable of 1,250 gals. per minute.
Kurt Redd, CEO of Diversified Marine, said the relationship between Brusco Tug & Barge and DMI is special. “Bo Brusco is a close, close friend of mine. Over the years, we have done a lot of business together, but I have always seen him as a friend first, customer second. This will be our 9th and10th boat builds for Brusco Tug & Barge. You don’t hear about that kind of relationship between a shipyard and operator often. Our business is built on relationships and we are thankful for the one we have with Brusco. It has allowed us to work on great, cutting edge boats and develop industry leading capabilities. We are excited to start work on the latest tug — it’s going to be a beast.”
Bo Brusco said they do not have plans finalized for where the tug will end up. They will be analyzing different options over the course of the project. The tugs are under construction now and will deliver in 2021.
