Newest Harley Marine Tug Begins Service

By Mark Edward Nero

The M/V Earl W Redd, the newest addition to the Harley Marine fleet of tugboats, is currently completing sea trials and preparing to enter service under the flag of Harley’s Olympic Tug & Barge unit.

The 120-foot tractor tug, which has a hull depth of about 19 feet and a breadth of 35 feet, was built by Diversified Marine Inc. in Portland, Oregon. It’s named after the father of Diversified President Kurt Redd. The vessel is slated to enter service as a provider of unrestricted coastal towing along the US West Coast. The tug is powered by Tier 4-compliant CAT engines coupled to Rolls-Royce azimuthing drives providing a bollard pull capability of 75 tons.

The tug’s deck equipment was supplied by Markey Machinery, including a two-winch suite of equipment consisting of a Markey TESD-34B-100HP double drum electric towing winch and a DEPC-48-50HP electric bow hawser winch with Render/Recover.

The TESD-34B-100HP towing winch is arranged to hold 2500 feet of 2-1/4” diameter wire rope on the starboard drum, and 1500 feet on the port drum. Barrel layer performance is rated at 193,000 pounds at stall; 129,000 pounds at 22 FPM; and 55,000 pounds at 43 FPM. The brake has a maximum holding capacity of 645,000 pounds.

The winch, powered by a 100-HP TENV inverter-duty electric motor controlled by a variable frequency drive, can provide full torque at continuous stall, and includes a hydraulically powered emergency “come home” drive motor in the event of electrical failure.

The DEPC-48-50HP bow hawser winch utilizes Markey’s render/recover technology to allow tug positioning while automatically maintaining an adjustable inhaul/payout constant tension on the line. It also includes a “freewheel” feature allowing for fast line payout or emergency escape.

Gunderson Marine Awarded Barge Contract

By Mark Edward Nero

Gunderson Marine, a division of Lake Oswego, Oregon-based Greenbrier Companies, said April 28 that it has received an order from Harley Marine Services to build two 430-foot ocean-going barges, each with an 82,000 barrel carrying capacity.

Construction on the barges is expected to begin by mid-2016, with delivery of both scheduled for the second half of 2017.

Over the past nine months Gunderson Marine has delivered two 578-foot articulated ocean-going barges for chemical and oil service.

With the current orders, Gunderson Marine is responding to new barge demand for transporting refined products across US waterways from coastal refineries. Gunderson is one of the few shipyards on the West Coast experienced in building large, articulated tug barges.

Gunderson most recently delivered a barge to Harley Marine in 2009.

“It is always rewarding to serve a repeat customer. We are pleased that Harley Marine has again sought to partner with Gunderson Marine as its transportation solutions provider,” Gunderson Chair and CEO William Furman said in a statement. “The marine order activity Greenbrier reports today demonstrates our commitment to diversify our revenue base as our core North American railcar markets transition over the course of this year and into 2017.”

Harley Franco, Founder, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Harley Marine, said Gunderson Marine shares his company’s core priorities: safety, environmental protection, customer service and on-time delivery.

“We are pleased to return to work with them on these important vessels and look forward to extending our business relationship in the future,” he said.

Harley Marine Receives Tank Barge

By Mark Edward Nero

The Vigor Fab shipyard in Portland, Oregon has delivered the tank barge Fight ALS to Harley Marine Gulf. The vessel is to join Harley’s offshore fleet working the Gulf and East Coast to transport petroleum products, specifically gasoline and distillates.

The barge has a length of 422 feet, a beam of 76 feet, eight inches, and a depth of 27 feet. The barge includes 12 separate cargo tanks and has the ability to pump cargo at 10,000 barrels per hour. A nitrogen-generating tank inerting system is fitted, and all pump and auxiliary engines meet Tier 3 standards.

The 83,000-bbl tank barge was designed by architectural and engineering company Elliott Bay Design Group. EBDG’s scope for the project, according to project manager Mike Complita, included the complete ABS design and approval package, as well as structural lofting and systems detail drawings.

It is the third 83,000-bbl ATB tank barge recently designed by EBDG and built for Harley Marine, with the sister barges being Dr. Robert J. Beall and Fight Fanconi Anemia.

“We have enjoyed a long relationship with Elliott Bay Design Group and have had great success working with them on the new build designs and their complete customer service mission,” Harley Marine Services Vice President of Marine Operations Keith Barnes said.

Harley Marine Receives 2nd Enhanced Tug

By Mark Edward Nero

A second “enhanced” RAmparts 2400 Z-drive tractor tug is now in service with Harley Marine Services in Seattle. The Lela Franco, named in honor of the wife of HMS founder Harley Franco, is a sister ship to the Michelle Sloan delivered earlier this year.

Both tugs were designed by Robert Allan Ltd. and built at shipbuilder Diversified Marine Inc.’s Portland, Oregon shipyard.

The Lela Franco is the sixth tractor tug HMS has added to its fleet in under two years. Like its twin sister the Michelle Sloan, it’s an enhancement of HMS tugs the Tim Quigg and John Quigg, built in 2004 also by Diversified Marine. The enhanced designs developed by Robert Allan Ltd. feature a wider hull, increased bollard pull performance, improved crew accommodations and a modified skeg.

Particulars of the Lela Franco include an overall length of 80 feet; molded beam of 36 feet; molded hull depth of six feet and eight inches; a maximum draft of 17 feet, five inches; and a weight of greater than 200 gross tons.

On trials, the vessel achieved an average bollard pull ahead of 69.0 short tons and a maximum of 71.3 short tons. Astern, the average bollard pull was 65.4 short tons and maximum was 67.4 short tons. The free running speed ahead was 12.5 knots.

The vessel has been outfitted for a normal operating crew of two, with accommodations for up to six persons. The Master’s cabin is located on the main deck, with two additional double crew cabins located on the lower accommodation deck. There is also a galley and mess room located on the main deck.

The deck machinery comprises a Markey DEPC-48 render-recover type ship assist hawser winch on the bow, spooled with 500 feet of nine-inch line, and a Markey DEPC-32 towing winch aft with a capacity of 250 feet of 6-1/2 inch line.

Vigor Wins Tank Barge Construction Contract

By Mark Edward Nero

Vigor Fab, the industrial fabrication and new-build division of Vigor Industrial, has been awarded a contract to build two 83,000-barrel tank barges for Harley Marine Services.

Construction is expected to begin this month at Vigor’s 60-acre shipyard in Portland, which has an 800-foot buildway, a 600-ton gantry crane and 360,000 square feet of covered fabrication areas.

The 422-foot by 76-foot by 27-foot tank barges were designed by Elliott Bay Design Group and are to be among the largest vessels constructed for Harley Marine’s fleet. Vigor also built the Sixty-Five Roses tank barge, which is about the same size as the new barges and currently the largest vessel in Harley’s Portland fleet.

“These vessels will be the ninth and tenth we’ve built for Harley Marine,” Vigor Sales and Marketing Manager Bryan Nichols said. “We’re glad we could earn this opportunity to help Harley expand their fleet. There’s no higher compliment than repeat business.”

Keith Barnes, Harley Marine’s Director of Petroleum Barge Operations, said Vigor has been “an excellent partner” in barge building over the years.

“They consistently provide the quality craftsmanship we depend on to serve our customers,” he said.

The first tank barge is scheduled for delivery in spring 2015, according to Vigor, with the second barge set for delivery in the summer of 2015.

Jensen Designs Tugs, Barge for Harley Marine

Jensen Maritime, the Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineering subsidiary of Crowley Maritime Corp., recently completed the designs of two new ASD tugs based on the Valor tugboat design, and a 250-foot x 70-foot x 15-foot, 8-inch deck barge for Seattle-based marine transportation provider Harley Marine.

The tugs, named Robert Franco and Ahbra Franco, are to provide tanker escort and ship assist services along the U.S. West Coast. The barge, Iliuliuk Bay, is expected to transport a wide variety of cargo between Dutch Harbor and Akutan, Alaska, with up to three runs weekly.

The Robert Franco and Ahbra Franco are under construction at Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, of Freeland, Washington and are expected to be delivered in March and July respectively.

The Iliuliuk Bay is also under construction by US Fab, in Vigor’s Swan Island shipyard in Portland, Oregon. It’s scheduled for delivery later this year.

Jensen designed the two new tugboats along the lines of the Nichols-built Valor, but upgraded them with Tier 3 Cat 3516C engines and Rolls-Royce US 255 Z-drives. The tugs will also feature an anchor windlass and chain locker, as well as a Markey TES-40 winch as well as 900 GPM fire pumps and monitors, powered from an on-board generator. Ice plating has also been added to the hulls to ensure safety while working in light ice conditions.

The Iliuliuk Bay will house a 230-ton lift capacity Manitowoc 4100 crawler crane. The vessel’s design features both D-rings to secure containers up to three high as well as eight lashing bars for other cargo such as heavy construction machinery or general equipment.