Much travelled tug heads for the Lakes

Passing Halifax today en route to a new home on the Great Lakes, the tug Susan McAllister would have  many stories to tell if it could talk.

Built in 1965 by the Equitable Equipment Co it was orginally named Vincent J.Robin IV for Robin International. It moved on the Crescent Towing of New Orleans as Betty Smith before going to work for Sea Containers as Seaco Enterprise. In 1997 it was acquired by Bay Transportation of Tampa and renamed  Leo. The next year Hvide Marine took over Bay and renamed the tug Ybor.

 As Ybor the tug handled a refueling barge in Tampa. FL.

The next year it was sold again to Capt. Arthur Fournier of Portland, ME who renamed it Capt. Sweet. When Fournier sold Portland Tugboat and Shipdocking Co to McAllister Towing in 2001 the tug took the name Susan McAllister. It is now bound for Cleveland, OH for Great Lakes Towing Ltd.

The two screw tug is rated at 2400 bhp with tow Cats and has a diesel powered towing winch.  

Great Lakes Towing has also acquired another McAllister tug, Daniel McAllister a former USN single screw built in 1974.