Master Boat Builders lays keels of first of four ASD tugs

Written by Nick Blenkey
Tugboat in Bay Houston livery

All four tugboats feature Schottel Z drives

Coden, Ala., based shipbuilder Master Boat Builders has laid the keels of the first two of a quartet of 85-foot, Robert Allan Ltd. RApport ASD tugs that it has on order for two Houston-based operators under contracts signed in February this year.

Two are being built for Bay Houston Towing Company and two for Suderman & Young Towing Company, with deliveries for both operators set to start in July 2022.

According to Master Boat Builders, all four vessels will each have an overall length of 85 feet, beam of 38.5 feet, and produce a bollard pull of over 52 metric tonnes. Each will feature two Caterpillar main engines (3512E), EPA Tier 4 certified and each producing 2,213 HP, along with two Schottel Z-Drive thrusters (SRP 430FP) and a Markey Machinery Company bow winch (DEPCF-48).

The tugboats will meet United States Coast Guard regulations and will be ABS classed.

Rendering of Suderman & Young tugboat
Categories: Coastal, News Tags: , , , ,