Meet Gerard McAllister: McAllister’s Next-Gen Tug Arrives In Flagship NYC

[By: McAllister Towing]

Power, ingenuity, maneuverability - McAllister Towing’s newest tractor tug, the GERARD MCALLISTER, brings all three to the Port of New York.

American made at Washburn & Doughty, the GERARD MCALLISTER is the fifth in a series of six 84-metric-ton bollard pull, low-emission tractor tugs. She is McAllister’s 42nd tractor tug and the 13th with over 80 metric tons of bollard pull, underscoring the company’s continuation toward a more powerful, hi-tech, and sustainable fleet.

Driven by 6,770 horsepower in her CAT engines, the GERARD MCALLISTER is built to handle the largest ships arriving on the U.S. East Coast. She joins her sister vessel, the GRACE MCALLISTER (launched in 2024), as the newest member of the fleet at McAllister’s flagship New York operation. With eco-friendly engines and Markey winches, these American-made tugboats rank among the most advanced and capable ship-docking tractor tugs serving the Port of New York.

The GERARD MCALLISTER’s first sail wasn’t just a delivery — it’s was a career showcase. On her way from the shipyard to New York, she stopped at Massachusetts Maritime Academy, giving cadets the chance to step aboard, tour the new tug, meet her crew, and ask real-world questions about working in the tugboat industry. For the next generation of mariners, the GERARD MCALLISTER is a terrific representation of where the industry is headed: high-tech, low-emission, and mission-critical to global trade.

“As vessel sponsor, it’s an incredible honor to see this tug bear my name,” said Gerard McAllister, the youngest of the fourth generation of McAllisters descended from company founder James McAllister. “This vessel represents where McAllister is headed — more power, cleaner technology, and new opportunities for the next generation of mariners. I hope the cadets who walk her decks at Mass Maritime can see themselves building a future in this industry and, one day, standing on a tug like this in New York Harbor.”

McAllister Towing is a fifth-generation owned and operated company that has been providing unsurpassed service since 1864. With four new state-of-the-art vessels added in the last two years and a fifth scheduled for delivery in 2026, McAllister continues to invest in innovation, sustainability, and safety across its operations on the U.S. East Coast.