Foss charters in Tier 4 tug Earl W Redd for offshore wind work

Written by Marine Log Staff
Earl W Redd

Tug Construction contracted Diversified Marine Inc. to build the Earl W Redd in 2017

Vancouver, Wash., based Jones Act market equipment leasing specialist Tug Construction is to bareboat charter the Tier 4 compliant tug Earl W Redd to Foss Maritime. It will sail from Portland, Oregon, to Massachusetts later this month to begin work on Foss offshore wind projects.

“Foss is proud to be involved in the creation of the first large-scale offshore wind installation in the U.S. The Earl W Redd is a great addition to the Foss fleet and will allow our skilled mariners to safely accomplish complex projects,” said Joel Whitman, President of Business Development at Foss Offshore Wind. “This investment along with the ongoing development of our offshore wind terminal in New Bedford further expands our presence in Massachusetts and will allows us to continue the expansion of our services to the emerging offshore wind market in the Northeast.”

Tug Construction contracted Diversified Marine Inc. to build the Earl W Redd in 2017. The tug ushered in the Tier 4 era as the first workboat in the U.S. to meet EPA Tier 4 requirements. Its main equipment consists of two Caterpillar 3516E main engines (5,350 HP), Rolls Royce US255 FP drives, Markey DEPC-48 bow winch and a Markey TESD-34 double drum tow winch. After delivery, the Earl was first chartered to Harley Marine, then to Foss and Saltchuk Marine’s Cook Inlet Tug & Barge before being returned in May of 2021.

“The Earl W Redd is an extremely capable and versatile vessel,” said Foss Maritime COO Chris Mack. “Our crew has experience with the boat, and we are excited to have it back in the fleet. When we started planning for this project, the Earl checked all the boxes we were looking for. Tug Construction was our first call, and we are happy to announce this charter.”

“We are excited to continue the partnership with Foss and look forward to seeing the Earl W Redd at work in offshore wind. It is an excellent boat for this project. Diversified Marine built a great boat with no expenses spared on equipment. We look forward to continuing to support Foss with their vessel needs and hope to build more wind boats soon,” said Frank Manning, director of business development at Tug Construction.

Foss Maritime and Tug Construction have a history of working together. In 2019, Foss Maritime acquired the Michelle Sloan, Lela Franco, Dr. Hank Kaplan and Rich Padden from Tug Construction. All four boats were built by Diversified Marine, Inc for Tug Construction.

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