By Mark Edward Nero
Harley Marine Services said Feb. 28 that it has accepted delivery of its newest tractor tug, Earl W Redd, which will enter service along the US West Coast.
The first-of-its-kind, the Earl W Redd is equipped with Caterpillar’s Tier 4 emissions technology and enters Harley’s fleet as one of the more efficient and environmentally conscious vessels in service by not only meeting but exceed the toughest marine EPA standards.
Built at Diversified Marine of Portland, Oregon, the Earl W Redd measures 120 feet by 35 feet, with a loaded draft of 19 feet three inches. The tug features twin Cat 3516 Tier 4 Final main engines, each producing 2,675 horsepower at 1,600 rpm.
Each of the engines is paired with a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) after treatment system. SCR uses a urea-based solution to reduce NOx contained in diesel exhaust down to nitrogen and water vapor. Harley says the main engines will be paired with Rolls Royce US 255-P30-FP azimuth thrusters delivering an expected bollard pull capability of 75 tons.
The tug has a fuel capacity of 127,000 gallons and can carry 6,534 gallons of water, 1,137 gallons of lube oil, 1,263 gallons of hydraulic oil and 8,200 gallons of diesel exhaust urea. It also features tow and bow winches by Markey and fendering by Schuyler. The bow winch is designed for ship handling and escort services. Auxiliary power comes from John Deere 125kW generators.
The vessel is named after the father of Diversified Marine’s owner, Kurt Redd. Earl worked for Hyster and US Steel, before landing with Harder Mechanical Contractors, where he retired at 70. After retirement, Earl became part of the Diversified team, where he was a strong presence for the remaining 25 years of his life. Earl Redd died in September 2015 at the age of 96.