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March, 2008 Moran Tug Service Signs Contract with Cameron LNG January, 2008 Moran Commences Operations in Two North Carolina Ports January, 2008 Moran Acquires a Tugboat Simulator from MarineSafety International April, 2007 Once Again, Moran Towing of Texas Receives the OSPRA Award January, 2007 Continued Growth for Moran LNG ship-docking services December, 2006 Moran Towing and Compania Maritima Pacifico Sign Long Term Marine Services Agreement November, 2006 Paul R. Tregurtha Voted "Maritime Man of the Year" by Massachusetts Maritime Academy November, 2006 Moran's Participation in U.S. Coast Guard Demonstration Earns Citation for Merit October, 2006 Expansive Tugs Area Maritime Company Adds Boats to its Fleet News Article Archive |
New tractor tug from Moran Towing advances ship handling safer in Texas port Ship docking on the Sabine River system in Texas is now improved, thanks to the recent introduction of the first azimuthing z-drive tractor tug in the area by Moran Towing Corporation. Moran's newest tractor tug, Lynne Moran, is a 92-foot, twin-z-drive vessel with ABS FiFi-1 firefighting capability. Rated at 5,100 hp with 70 tons of bollard pull, she is capable of escorting and docking the largest ships calling in the tri-port area of Port Arthur, Beaumont and Orange, Texas. After extensive training of her crews the new tug was introduced to the marine community in early August. "This tug represents a significant change in the way ships are going to be handled in this port," said Sabine pilot Mark Taylor. "I worked with the Lynne on a number of jobs soon after she arrived and I was very impressed. With all that power and maneuvering capability, you could say that she can do the work of two tugs." Lynne Moran joined four other twin-screw Moran tugs based in the Sabine area after an extended voyage from the shipyard in Maine where she was built, stopping at several other Moran ports along the Eastern Seaboard. Her first ship docking job, less than 24 hours after arriving, was to assist the 792-foot tanker Sanko Dynastyas she came in through Sabine Pass; this vessel carries more than 700,000 barrels of crude oil to terminals on the Neches River. "We were positioned right at the stern of that ship as she got into the river," said Capt. Les Hurd, who shares command of the new tug with Capt. Thomas Bammert. "That way we are best positioned to help slow the vessel or to assist her in steering should the need arrive. We learned very quickly that we can do just about anything with such a versatile tugboat." Lynn Moran has also been assigned to escort and dock some of the largest tankers to call at Port Arthur, 85,000 deadweight tons or more, which are restricted to daylight-only passages of the port. Both captains and both mates assigned to the Lynne Moran went through several weeks of training on Moran tractor tugs in other ports, including extensive simulator training at the U.S. Navy Atlantic fleet base in Norfolk, Virginia, where Moran tractors provide exclusive tug service. Crewmembers also attended training sessions on LNG port operations, including fire fighting, with hand-on experience at the Cove Point LNG terminal in Maryland where Moran tugs provide ship assist services. For additional training, Moran captains Jay Youngblood from Charleston and Dave Missroon from Savannah, spent a week at Port Arthur training crewmembers and devising specific maneuvering techniques appropriate for local application. During her first two weeks on the job, the new tug also demonstrated her capabilities during an onboard visit by Capt. Sharon Richey, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard's Marine Safety Office in Port Arthur. Engineers aboard the new tug are Cliff Champagne and Gary Cormier. Constructed by the Washburn & Doughty shipyard in East Boothbay, Maine, Lynne Moran is powered by a pair of EMD diesels driving with Rolls Royce azimuthing stern drives. Her engine room also includes two John Deere auxiliary diesel-generators, and a pair of Caterpillar diesels driving pumps that together can put out better than 10,000 gallons of water per minute for firefighting. Other modern equipment aboard the Lynne Moran include a Markey hawser winch with full render-recovery capability, a 100-point electronic alarm and security system, a wheelhouse motion-sensing crew alert system, and the latest in navigation and communications gear, including an Automatic Identification System (AIS) that facilitates instant communication and identification among vessels in a given operating area. "This tug has just the type of equipment that is needed for a growing port like this," said Steve Kelly, Moran's vice president and general manager for its Texas operations. "We've got tankers as large as 900 feet coming in here and soon we'll have LNG tankers," he added. "With that type of shipping, we need to provide first-class tugboat capabilities." The Sabine River, with access to the Gulf of Mexico through Sabine Pass, provides deep water access to Port Arthur, Beaumont and Orange. The ports are also serviced by the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. The Sabine River is located about 50 miles northeast of Galveston and the beginning of the Houston Ship Channel. Moran Towing is a 150-year-old maritime services company with operations on the U.S. East and Gulf coasts. The company currently operates 87 tugs, including 18 tractor tugs, and 30 barges. 
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50 Locust Avenue | New Canaan, CT 06840-4737 USA | Tel: 203.442.2800 |
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