Warren, R.I.-based Blount Boats has signed a contract with the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to build an icebreaking diesel-powered steel double-screw tugboat. The tug will to operate in seasonal ice near the entrance to and within the upper Niagara River.

The vessel will replace existing vessels in the NYPA fleet currently used for the installation, removal, and maintenance of the Lake Erie ice boom and various associated marine construction projects.

The naval architectural and marine engineering firm Bristol Harbor Group Inc. developed the contract design and will provide technical oversight during the fabrication process for NYPA.

The 56’x18'6" shallow draft tug will be powered by two Caterpillar series C-9 engines, each rated at 375 hp at 1,800 rpm. The vessel’s hull, machinery, electrical systems and safety equipment will comply and, be inspected in accordance with USCG Subchapter M – Towing Vessels.

Delivery of the vessel to NYPA’s facility on the Buffalo River Entrance Channel is scheduled for fall 2019.

 

 

David Krapf retired in 2024 after serving as editor of WorkBoat, the nation’s leading trade magazine for the inland and coastal waterways industry, since 1999. During his tenure, Krapf oversaw the editorial direction of the publication, shaping its reputation as an industry leader. Krapf's career in publishing began in 1987 as a reporter and editor for daily and weekly newspapers in the Houston area. He also served as the editor of a transportation industry daily in New Orleans before joining WorkBoat as a contributing editor in 1992. With a career spanning decades, Krapf has been covering the transportation industry since 1989. He holds a degree in business administration from the State University of New York at Oswego and studied journalism at the University of Houston.