Atlantic Coast towing for Penn Maritime

While Penn Maritime tugs and barges are common sights in Halifax, it is rare to see a Penn barge towed by a non-Penn tug. This morning's arrival is Dann Marine Towing Inc's Atlantic Coast towing the barge Penn 410.

The current Penn fleet of 17 tugs and 20 barges, specializes in carrying heated asphalt and heavy bunker type oil. Dann Marine also has 17 tugs in its fleet, consisting of ocean/coastal and pushers. Once the tow got into the harbour, the harbour tug Atlantic Larch came alongside.

Atlan tic Coast was built in 2007 by Rodriguez Boat Builders of Bayou Le Batre, AB, and is powered by two Cat main engines totaling 3,000 bhp driving two fixed pitch props in nozzles.

Once the Larch was secure,  the tug let go its tow wire and came around to the stern of the barge and into its stern notch.

Penn 410 is a double hull barge of 7,527 gross tons/ 12,471 deadweight tonnes. It is a wire tow barge, with a deep notch, and can therefore accommodate tugs without coupler/articulation systems.

Tarpon makes a side trip

 1. Tarpon makes a bow wave as it ambles across the harbour.

The tug Tarpon arrived at Imperial Oil yesterday with its barge Potomac and berthed at Number 4 dock. This morning the tug exited the barge notch and made its way across the harbour to the Svitzer Canada (ECTUG) dock.
The tug was built in 1974 by the prolific McDermott yard in Morgan City, LA as Miriam M. Defelice for Defelice Marine Towing of New Orleans. That company was taken over by Gulf, then Zapata, then Tidewater, and the tug was sold in 1986 to Morania Oil Tanker Corp and renamed Morania No.1. When Morania was merged into Penn Maritime (they had common owners) it is reported that the tug was renamed Penn No.1 for a time. However this change must have been short lived, for all documentation that I can find, such as the USCG and Lloyds says that it became Tarpon in 1993. A sister tug, Morania No.2 did become Penn No.2, and kept the name.
In 2005 the tug was fitted with a JAK coupler system, and the barge Potomac was rebuilt to double hull, and its shallow notch was modified to a deep notch, with JAK fittings. The barge has a capacity of 79,000 bbls of cargo - usually asphalt or heavy black oil.

2. The tug slows as it approaches the dock. Note the array of ladders for reaching the deck of the barge.

The tug is rated at 4300 bhp, from two V-12 GM EMD engines (12-645-E) driving two open fixed pitch props. The tug still carries its large towing winch and can tow the barge if needed, but normally operates in the notch.
The purpose of the visit to the ECTUG dock is the same as that of several fleetmates, and that is to take on water and some stores. This is not possible at Imperial Oil due to the configuration of the jetty. Alsao if some minor repairs require hot work, that is also forbidden at the oil dock.
Penn Maritime Inc was taken over by the Kirby Corp in December of 2012, but so far the tugs have not been renamed or changed colours..  

3. The JAK couplers are built out from the hull in special housings, and are retracted to disconnect from the barge. An emergency tow line leads aft to the tug's winch. It appears not to have been used recently.

Penn Maritime Inc sells to Kirby

1. Penn's Eliza following a drydocking at Halifax Shipyard in 2003. She is an ATB tug - you can see the coupler - and is rarely detached from her barge.

As mentioned the large US tug and barge operator Kirby Corp (a publicly traded company)  has purchased the family owned Penn Maritime in a deal that is expected to close in mid-December. Penn's corporate headquarters are in Stamford, CT, but they operate from Staten Island, NY and Slidell, LA..
Kirby has been on a bit of a buying spree, expanding beyond its inland roots to coastal operations. It is now the only US operator working the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific (including Alaska) coasts and the inland rivers. Latest figures indicate that is fleet consists of 853 inland barges, 246 inland towboats, 63 coastal barges, 63 coastal tugs and 3 offshore drybulk barges.

In July 2011 it acquired K-Sea Transportation (itself an amalgam of Eklof, Roehrig and others) and in 2012 already bought Allied Transportation Co, a small southern operator.
With the Penn Purchase it gets 18 double hull barges and 16 tugs (of theses 12 are ATBs, the others are wire boats).

Penn tug/barges have been regular callers in our waters for many years, most often in Saint John, but also from time to time in Halifax and as far as Newfoundland. They specialize in liquid asphalt, fuel oil and feed stocks, and have been chartered by Irving Oil to carry asphalt in our region and to the US.
Penn Maritime was founded in 1985, but is an offshoot of the Morania Oil Tanker Corp, which dates from 1947 (it also ran small tankers). The two companies had common ownership and shared offices and management, but there was some complication due to family ownership that kept them apart, at least nominally, until 2000. In that year Morania was merged into Penn and thus disappeared. I always liked the fire engine red Morania tugs, but Penn's are a less exciting grey. However many other tug operators have red as their colour, and Penn was virtually unique in their choice. That will likely disappear now when the tugs are repainted and renamed.

2. Penn No.2 was typical of the smaller wire boats operated by Penn, but previously run by Morania. It had been Morania No.2  at that time. It has since been sold and operates as Coral Coast.

For one of Penn's larger wire boats see:

http://tugfaxblogspotcom.blogspot.ca/2011/10/penn-no6.html

In its prior life with Morania, it was Morania No.6 when I saw it in  Saint John, glistening in wet weather with its spotless red paint and silver funnel.band :

3. Morania No.6 in the notch of its barge.

The most frequent Penn Maritime tug to be seen in these parts lately has been Coho. It was in Eastern Passage in June, but did not make it easy for the photographer:

http://tugfaxblogspotcom.blogspot.ca/2012/06/coho-visits-eastern-passage.html

It also made a trip to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland during August/September.

After the nmerger it is likely that the same tugs will continue in the same trades, but under new names.

Penn No.6

The big US flag tug Penn No.6 came over to Halifax from Imperial Oil and tied up at the Svitzer dock today. It is only when you get to see one of these tugs up close that you can appreciate how big they really are.

Penn No.6 was built in Slidell, LA by Southern Shipbuilding as Robert Alario in 1970. At 149' length overall and 35' breadth, the tug packs 5700 bhp delivered by two V-16 GMs. Morania Tanker Corp of New York bought the tug in 1992 and renamed it Morania No.6. Morania, founded in 1947, merged into Penn Maritime in 2000, but had shared common ownership since 1985. The tug changed its name as part of the merger and its colour too. Instead of the Morania red, it became Penn grey.

Penn moved its headquarters to Stamford, CT, but it maintains a base on Staten Island and also has an office in Slidell, LA.

Penn specializes in asphalt and heavy fuel transport, and has a fleet of a dozen tugs and barges. The barges are double hull, and the tugs are a mix of wire tow and articulated.

Penn No.6 is a wire tow tug, which can also push in the notch using face wires and has large pads to fit into the barge notch. Its massive tow winch and deck gear are typical of tugs of this size, built to handle very big barges.

See Halifax Shipping News for some excellent photos of the tug's arrival in Halifax towing Barge 120. The barge was built in 2002 and measures 7320 gross tons, 18,000 tons deadweight, and has a capacity of 115,000 bbls of black oil in six heated tanks. (All US units of measure)

Penn Maritime tugs are constant visitors to the Irving Oil refinery in Saint John and make calls in Halifax from time to time.

This evening it went back to Imperial Oil and picked up its barge, now fully loaded, and went out to anchor until the wind dies down.

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