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Great Lakes names 10th ice-class harbour tug in decade-long newbuilding campaign
A provider of ship assistance on the inland lakes of North America has introduced the latest tug in its long-term fleet renewal programme
Great Lakes Towing has named its latest newbuild ice-class tug as part of its long-term fleet renewal campaign.
Puerto Rico is the latest harbour tug to enter the fleet after its construction by Great Lakes Shipyard in Cleveland, Ohio.
It is the 10th ice-class harbour tug the shipyard has built for its sister company in a newbuilding programme that started in 2016 with delivery of Cleveland.
"Puerto Rico represents our continued commitment to innovation, reliability, and providing exceptional marine services across the Great Lakes," said Great Lakes Towing.
All of these tugs were built to Damen’s Stan Tug 1907 ICE design for ship assistance, towing, berthing, and ice breaking.
At 19.5 m, with a beam of 7.3 m and hull depth of 3.3 m, the tugs are compact and highly manoeuvrable for the narrow waterways and low bridges that characterise harbour towing on the Great Lakes, according to the owner.
Each tug is powered by two Rolls-Royce’s mtu 4000 series V8 diesel engines, rated for US EPA Tier 3 emissions requirements, and has a bollard pull of more than 30 tonnes.
Their propulsion systems include the Canal Marine-designed Logan FlexaDrive hybrid power units, enabling masters to operate them on electric power while idle.
These tugs can also be operated on electric power when underway at low speeds or under low loads without engaging the main engines, reducing emissions and engine maintenance.
Puerto Rico was officially named in a ceremony at Collision Bend Brewing Co on the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland at the end of May 2026.
It follows delivery and christening of the ninth tug in the newbuilding series, New York, in August 2025.
All of these tugs are named after US states and operate in harbours and waterways in the Great Lakes of North America.
Great Lakes Towing operates in almost 50 US ports and in Windsor and Port Colborne in Ontario, Canada, serving lakes Erie, Huron, Michigan and Superior.
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