By Bill O’Hearn, Business Network for Offshore Wind
In any discussion of the needs of the offshore wind industry, the topic of vessels always comes up because of the huge demand for specialized boats and ships to handle the transportation and assembly of offshore turbines. That’s why it was good to see one of America’s oldest boat builders, McAllister Towing and Transportation Co., Inc., celebrate its two newest, state-of-the-art tugboats in New York harbor on July 12.
The party was held at Pier 16 in Manhattan with the christening of two tugboats, the Rosemary McAllister and the Capt. Brian A. McAllister, both ABS classed FiFi 1 with propulsion systems meeting EPA Tier 4 emission regulations.
Tugboats Capt. Brian McAllister and Rosemary McAllister with Battery and Freedom Tower
In early June 2018 McAllister Towing took delivery of Rosemary McAllister, the second in a series of four 100′ x 40′, 80 metric ton bollard pull tugboats. The new vessel, the 32nd tractor tug in McAllister’s fleet, was started at Horizon Shipbuilding, but the company went out of business so it was completed at Eastern Shipbuilding in Panama City, Fla.
Rosemary and her sister vessel, the Capt. Brian A. McAllister, are together some of the earliest EPA Tier IV tugs on the U.S. East Coast. Remote controlled fire monitors and deluge systems (ABS FiFi certified) complete the package, making the tug a total escort/shipdocking/rescue vessel.
McAllister family: Buckley McAllister (President, 5th generation), Beth Morrow, Amy McAllister, Rowan McAllister (back row), Robert McAllister, Capt. Brian McAllister (CEO, 4th generation), Rosemary McAllister, Eric McAllister (CFO, 5th generation)
“These two tugs embody the wish lists and lessons learned from our collective experience,” said Buckley McAllister. “At 100 feet by 40 feet and 19 feet of draft, these tugs have the heft needed to help navigate the new ultra-large container vessels calling at America’s ports. At 6,700 horsepower, they are the most powerful ship-docking tugs on the East Coast.”
The Rosemary McAllister is serving McAllister Towing’s operation in Virginia, and according to Buckley McAllister these powerful new tugs are in high demand at ports around the country. The Capt. Brian A. McAllister is working in New York harbor.
Eastern Shipbuilding is building both remaining tugs in the series. The Ava McAllister is due in January 2019 and the Capt. Jim McAllister is due in May 2019.
These tugs are just a part of the McAllister empire, which includes the barges Atlantic Trader and Chesapeake Trader, which were used on the Block Island wind farm, and the crew boat Hunter, also part of the Block Island project, along with terminals or shipyards in Bridgeport, CT, Fall River, MA, Providence, RI, Staten Island, NY and Philadelphia, PA.