Western Towboat selects design for newbuild tugboat

“This ASD tug will be Western’s first EPA Tier 4-compliant tug, built for versatility, operational efficiency and streamlined maintenance,” said Glosten. “It will help Western selectively expand operations.”

Western said this will be Hull 21, and built at its own facilities, where it has introduced a floating dock for greater flexibility and independent construction and repair work.

“By having our own floating dock, we are now able to control everything inhouse at the tug factory,” said Western.

Established in 1948, Western owns 23 tugboats ranging in power from 230 kW to 4,850 kW with twin propellers and Z-drive azimuth thrusters, and seven barges of up to 10,000 tonnes capacity.

It operates this fleet from Puget Sound to the Aleutian Islands, from Arctic Alaska to the Hawaiian Islands and the Panama Canal.

The 28th International Tug & Salvage Convention, Exhibition & Awards will be held in Gothenburg, Sweden, in association with Caterpillar, 19-21 May 2026. Use this link for more details of this industry event and the associated social and networking opportunities.