Nearly a decade after The Great Lakes Towing Company, Cleveland, Ohio, began replacing older boats in its fleet with a new generation of harbor tugs, the company has reached the end of that particular build program.
Puerto Rico, christened in Cleveland in May, is the 10th and final tug in the fleet renewal program launched in 2016, a company representative confirmed to WorkBoat. The tug was built by sister company Great Lakes Shipyard, Cleveland, to the Stan Tug 1907 ICE design from Damen Shipyards Group, Gorinchem, Netherlands.
While the company has no firm plans for another newbuild at the moment, the representative said that Great Lakes expects its relationship with Damen to continue as it evaluates its fleet for replacement needs and opportunities to expand.
The 10-boat program dates to August 2016, when Great Lakes Shipyard laid the first keels for the series at its Cleveland yard. Great Lakes had entered into a licensing agreement with Damen the previous year, allowing the U.S. yard to build Damen designs with engineering and technical support from the Dutch shipbuilder.
The first tug in the series, Cleveland, was delivered in 2017. At the time, Great Lakes said the program was intended to replace aging equipment while modernizing a towing fleet that works throughout the Great Lakes.
Puerto Rico brings that effort to its planned 10-vessel mark.
The tug was christened May 28 along the Cuyahoga River, with Transportation Institute President Sara Fuentes serving as vessel sponsor.
Built for harbor towing, cargo transportation, and icebreaking, Puerto Rico measures 64'x24'x11' and carries a crew of two.
Power comes from a pair of Cummins QSK38 Tier III engines rated at 1,000 hp each. They drive three-bladed, 71" Kaplan-style propellers in Kort nozzles through Twin Disc MGX-5321 gearboxes. The tug has a reported top speed of 11 knots and 30 tons of bollard pull.
Two Kohler 65EOZCJ marine gensets, each rated at 65 kW, provide auxiliary power.
On deck, Puerto Rico carries a DMT Marine Equipment CE-30KN 3 capstan and Schuyler Cos. fendering. Its electronics package includes 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 includes 7,000 gals. of fuel, 1,200 gals. of freshwater, and 290 gals. of lube oil. Firefighting equipment includes two Griswold HH 4X3 pumps and an Ansul Sapphire FM-200 suppression system.
The Stan Tug 1907 ICE 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.
Although Puerto Rico closes the fleet renewal program that began in 2016, the company representative said Great Lakes continues to look at where older tugs should be replaced and where additional vessels could make sense.
