Marcon brokers sale of 1980-built Foss tug

Benjamin Foss

MARCH 31, 2016 —Marcon International, Inc., Coupeville, WA, has brokered the sale of the 1,700 BHP tug Benjamin Foss by Foss Maritime Company, Seattle, WA to private U.S. interests. 

The 78.0′ x 26.3′ x 11.0′ depth x 9.7′ draft, tug was built in 1980 by Main Iron Works of Houma, LA, as Hull 352 – the first in a series of seven “Super D” class, advanced, medium size tugs contracted in 1979. The low-profile tugs were built for PacTow, a Dillingham Maritime Company, and Foss Maritime, then also a subsidiary of Dillingham in the 1980s, as a larger, enhanced version of the popular 1,200 HP, 66′ “D” class boats built in the mid-1960s.

After delivery from the shipyard, Benjamin Foss remained in the U.S. Gulf for six months working for Foss’ new Gulf Coast service until returning to the Pacific Northwest with a new 30,000 bbl bunker barge. The tug has since worked in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska and on the Columbia River performing ship assists and as a line-haul tug. 

Benjamin Foss is powered by twin CAT D398s developing a total of 1,700 BHP at 1,225 RPM, with CAT 7261 4.65:1 gears, 76″ x 76″ fixed pitch props in kort nozzles and flanking rudders. This gives her a bollard pull of about 26.4 short tons. Towing gear consists of an Intercon SD-150 single drum winch with a capacity of 2,000′ of 1.5″ wire and a Foss Mk.2 bow winch with 150′ of 1.125″ wire. 

Another former “Super-D” tug, the Pacific Patriot (ex-Pacific King) was sold from other sellers by Marcon in 2014.

Marcon acted as the sole broker in the Benjamin Foss sale, which is the fifth Foss tug sale or charter brokered through Marcon in addition to various barges and other equipment.

Benjamin Foss is the 315th tug (totaling 982,107 HP) sold or chartered by Marcon over the last 35 years. Marcon says it is hoping to break the one million horsepower mark in tugs brokered for sale or charter by the end of 2016 – and also break the 1,400th vessel or barge sold or chartered by mid-2016.