Crescent Towing expands fleet with four-ASD tug newbuild order

Crescent Towing will expand its fleet of harbour tugs operating in southern US harbours through an investment in four new azimuth stern drive (ASD) tugboats, each with two Z drives, at a shipyard in Alabama.

The Cooper Group subsidiary has turned to a sister shipbuilding company to construct these 4,475-kW tugs for deliveries in the next three years to enhance the company’s ship towage and handling capabilities on the Mississippi River.

Mobile-based Blakeley BoatWorks, also a Cooper Group subsidiary, will build these 28-m tugs to a design by Crowley Engineering Services and ABS class, with one scheduled for delivery in 2027, another in 2028 and the final two in the series in 2029.

Once delivered, Crescent Towing’s fleet will include 15 ASD tugs working in three ports: New Orleans in Louisiana, Mobile, and Savannah in Georgia.

“Our ongoing newbuild initiative, in partnership with Blakeley BoatWorks, reflects our investment in reliability, performance, and strength of our fleet,” said Crescent Towing president Scott Cooper.

“We are excited to continue this initiative long-term to further strengthen our fleet and reinforce our commitment to delivering the industry’s highest quality of service.”