Marcon brokers sale of Crowley tug to Island

JULY 17, 2013 — Marcon International, Inc. has brokered the sale of another tug from Crowley Marine Services, Inc. to Island Tug & Barge Co., of Seattle, Washington. Last May, Marcon brokered the sale of Crowley’s twin screw Seneca Class tug Sioux to Island Tug & Barge. Now, Marcon reports that the sale of the ABS +A1, Towing, +AMS classed, 2,100 bhp shallow draft ocean towing / push tug Pt. Barrow closed during the third week of July. The tug is already getting a fresh paint job with ITB’s colors with her new name Island Wind, and she will promptly be again underway, this time working for her new owner.

The triple deck tug is one of three sister-tugs in the Point Class built in 1982 for Crowley by Dakota Creek Industries of Anacortes, Washington. She was was originally designed and built to work in the Arctic, where Crowley needed tugs designed to perform both ocean and coastal towing in shallow waters around Prudhoe Bay while pushing barges.

Her principal dimensions are 90 ft x 32 ft with a depth of 11.2 ft and a light draft of 6.0 ft. Normal operating draft is about 8.5 ft when loaded with fuel.

While the hull is of all welded steel construction, her superstructure is aluminum.

She is powered by a pair of CAT3512 diesels which provide about 2,110 bp to fixed pitch propellers in kort nozzles through Twin Disc 6.18:1 gears. Pt. Barrow is also fitted with shaft brakes, and has steering rudders and flanking rudders for added maneuverability while pushing ahead. Her bollard pull is about 23.5 short tons.

Towing gear consists of a single drum Smatco winch with a capacity of about 1,900 ft of 1.75 in wire. She is also fitted with a stern roller aft and two hydraulic barges winches forward plus push knees. She packs about 60,000 gallons of diesel fuel which, says Marcon, gives her a decent towing range.

To date, Marcon has concluded a total of 14 sales and charters this year. Several additional transactions are pending and expected to close within the next week.