The Great Lakes Towing Co., Cleveland, Ohio, announced it has ordered two new tugboats, expanding its long-running newbuild program to 12 vessels.
The company said in a press release on Friday that it has ordered the harbor tugs from its sister company, Great Lakes Shipyard, Cleveland, for scheduled delivery in late 2027 and early 2028.
Great Lakes Towing, which provides harbor towing and marine services throughout the Great Lakes, said the fleet renewal and expansion program is part of its long-term investment in Great Lakes shipping.
"The Great Lakes have been our home for more than a century, and this order reflects our confidence in the future of commercial shipping throughout the region and our commitment to the customers who depend upon us," said Great Lakes Towing President Gregg Thauvette. "Continuing to renew our fleet is essential to maintaining safe and reliable harbor towing service and preparing the Towing Company to meet our customers' needs for years to come."
Like the 10 previous vessels in the series, the 64'x24'x11' newbuilds will be constructed to the Stan Tug 1907 ICE design from Damen Shipyards Group, Gorinchem, Netherlands. The design was selected with Great Lakes service in mind, including harbor work in tight waterways and operations during the region’s winter season. When the series was announced, Great Lakes said the vessels would be built to ABS class and comply with U.S. Coast Guard Subchapter M requirements.
The first tug in the series, the Cleveland, was delivered in 2017, and the 10th vessel, the Puerto Rico, was christened earlier this year.
"Building the first 10 Damen tugs gave our team valuable experience that we will carry into the construction of the next two vessels," said Tom Rigolo, president of Great Lakes Shipyard. "We are proud that this work will continue here in Cleveland, and we look forward to seeing hulls 11 and 12 take shape."
Power will come from a pair of Cummins QSK38 Tier III engines rated at 1,000 hp each. They will drive three-bladed, 71" Kaplan-style propellers in Kort nozzles through Twin Disc MGX-5321 gearboxes. The tugs will have a top speed of 11 knots and 30 tons of bollard pull.
Two Kohler 65EOZCJ marine gensets, each rated at 65 kW, will provide auxiliary power.
On deck, each tug will carry a DMT Marine Equipment CE-30KN 3 capstan and Schuyler Cos. fendering. Electronics packages will include Furuno DRS 6AX radar, a Furuno TZT16F electronic chart display, Furuno SC70 satellite compass, Furuno FA170 AIS, Simrad AP70 autopilot, and two Icom M506 radios.
Tankage will include 7,000 gals. of fuel, 1,200 gals. freshwater, and 290 gals. lube oil. Firefighting equipment will include two Griswold HH 4X3 pumps and an Ansul Sapphire FM-200 suppression system.
