Great Lakes Towing Company's new 2,000-hp tug Cleveland handled its first harbor assist on Monday.

The 65'x24'x11' Cleveland is the first tug to be built in the U.S. to meet new USCG Subchapter M regulations, according to the tug's designers, Damen Shipyards Group. On Monday, the tug assisted the bulk carrier Federal Saguenay for Montreal-based Fednav, Canada's largest oceangoing dry-bulk shipping company, at the port of Cleveland.

The Cleveland is the first of 10 Damen Stan Tugs 1907 ICE to be built for Great Lakes Towing. The other nine tugs will be based on the same design and specifications as the Cleveland. The Damen tugs are the first to be built under license in the U.S.


The Cleveland was launched at company affiliate Great Lakes Shipyard in Cleveland on May 25 and the yard delivered the tug to Great Lakes Towing on June 30. The tugs are powered by two MTU 8V4000 M54R engines, each putting out 1,000-hp at 1,600 rpm. The engines turn a pair of 3-bladed, 71”-dia., Kaplan-style propellers in Kort nozzles through two Twin Disc MG5321 Quick Shift gears with 5.45:1 ratios.