New tugs, new names

Newly launched for Superport Marine of Port Hawksbury is the tug/workboat Strait Raven It was launched February 14 at the owner's own shipyard but has not been registered yet. It is reported to be heading for Newfoundland on contracted work.

Also new is Groupe Océan's latest ASD tug. Océan Pierre Julien was registered in Quebec City on February 22. The 204 gross tons, 3,000 kw tug is the latest in a series of small powerful harbour tugs built by the company's Industrie Océan yard in Ile-aux-Coudres, QC. It is expected to go into service in the spring, possibly in Montreal. The shipyard has now started work on the TundRA class escort tug.

Back under Canadian flag for the second time in as many years, but this time with a another new name is Atlantic Tern. When acquired by Atlantic Towing last year for support work it was given the very odd name Atlantic Birch II . It was almost immediately transferred to Barbados flag but was re-registered in St.John's February 26, 2013 with the much better name Atlantic Tern.
Built in 1975 as Canmar Supplier II, it was later Suppplier II, REM Supporter and Thor Supplier.
Atlantic Towing follows a naming policy of using tree names for its tugs and bird names for its suppliers. The old  tug Atlantic Birch has been laid up in Saint John for many years, and is not the same vessel as this one.