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Second Maritime Partners terminal tug newbuild launched
One of the largest workboat owners in the US has witnessed the launching of a second newbuild energy terminal tugboat at a shipyard in Alabama
Master Boat Builders has launched Titan, the second of eight terminal tugs it is building for Maritime Partners in the US, in response to the rising demand for LNG exports at facilities along the Gulf Coast.
Constructed in Coden, Alabama, Titan was launched using a floating dock and will be outfitted, commissioned, completed, and tested before being delivered to the owner.
Its launch comes weeks after Master Boat Builders delivered Marauder to Maritime Partners, which is already one of the largest owners of towboats and pusher vessels operating along US inland waterways.
Marauder was operating at a terminal in Ingleside on Corpus Christi Bay in Texas at the start of June, according to Automatic Identification System data.
Six more energy terminal tugs are on order with the US shipbuilder, reflecting the sustained demand for high-performance tug capacity across the maritime and energy sectors.
All these 27-m tugs are being built to Robert Allan Ltd’s RApport 2700 design to manoeuvre, berth, and undock gas carriers at the growing number of LNG export terminals in the US.
Marauder and Titan are classed by ABS as escort tugs with automated machinery systems, underwater inspection in lieu of drydocking, FFV1 firefighting capabilities, and low emissions, enabling it to comply with US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 4 requirements.
They each have a beam of 13 m and twin high-speed, four-stroke engines connected to exhaust aftertreatment systems and two azimuth thrusters on the stern.
Marauder was named in a ceremony in mid-May at the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf in Mobile, Alabama, to mark the vessel’s formal entry into the fleet and to celebrate the significant milestone for both companies.
For Maritime Partners, it was the first investment in owning terminal tugs during a booming market for these vessels, driven by the construction of multiple LNG export terminals along the US Gulf Coast.
During Riviera’s 28th ITS Convention, held in Gothenburg, Sweden, 19-21 May, Maritime Partners vice president for technology and innovation, Dave Lee, explained the rationale for building this tugboat series.
“We are building eight tugs on speculation to a Robert Allan design for the growing LNG business in the US,” he said.
“These are 30- to 40-year assets and may not stay in the same port all of their lives. They have EPA Tier 4 diesel engines to meet regulatory requirements,” Mr Lee added.
In the towboat market, Maritime Partners leases vessels on long-term charters to independent operators and works with them for operations and future investments.
It manages a diversified fleet of around 1,800 vessels used in the domestic Jones Act trades and provides the assets that transport various liquid and dry bulk commodities, including agricultural products, chemicals, aggregates, crude oil, and refined petroleum products.
Master Boat Builders has built and delivered over 450 vessels in the past 45 years, including tugboats, offshore supply vessels, fishing vessels, and dive support vessels. It has several orders for tugboats, mostly being built to Robert Allan designs, for various US owners.
Riviera will host TUGTECHNOLOGY ‘27 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 19-20 May 2027. Use this link for more information and to register.
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