Construction Begins On Two Harbor Tugs Named For Inspirational Leaders

Harley Marine Services has announced the construction of two new ship handling vessels. The two tugs being built at Diversified Marine in Portland, Oregon are sister class vessels to the Michelle Sloan and Lela Franco and will enhance the company's fleet presence on the West Coast.

The vessels will each have a length of 80', a beam of 36' and a depth of 16'-8" and are capable of producing 70 short tons of bollard pull.  Each vessel is equipped with (2) CAT 3516, Tier 3 propulsion engines, for a total of approximately 5,200 horsepower, and (2) Caterpillar C7.1, Tier 3 generators. These cutting edge engines reduce NOx and particulate matter, from Tier 2 models by seventy-four percent (74%). These new Tier 3 engines reinforce Harley Marine's commitment to being an environmentally responsible leader within the maritime industry. The vessels are each equipped with a Markey bow winch, a barge handling stern winch, and Shibata fendering. In addition, for crew protection, sound proofing material has been added to the bulkheads and decks to improve the quality of life onboard the vessels. A closed-circuit TV (CCTV) system will be installed in the engine rooms and can be accessed from the wheelhouse or ashore for management to monitor. The vessels are being built with the most technically and environmentally advanced equipment available and will exceed all regulatory, internal, and customers' needs and expectations.

Harley Franco, Chairman and CEO of Harley Marine Services announced last week, "It gives me great pleasure to name these two tugs after our long-time board member, Rich Padden and the esteemed, Dr. Hank Kaplan of Swedish Cancer Institute". The vessels will be named RICH PADDEN and DR HANK KAPLAN.

Mr. Richard Padden has been an instrumental leader at Harley Marine Services since inception, serving as a board member and guiding the company through 30 years of growth. As a leader of the community, Rich sits on the Rainier Scholars' Board of Trustees, which strives to eliminate barriers for students of color that do not have the same access to educational advancement opportunities as their peers. In addition, Rich and his wife Laurie were original co-founders of the Cystic Fibrosis Seattle Guild, which has raised over $100,000,000 for CF research.

Dr. Kaplan is the leading medical specialist in our region for fighting cancer! In 1984, The Kaplan Cancer Research Fund started after Dr. Kaplan received grants while researching experimental drug trials. Harley Marine's annual golf tournament has raised an additional $1.5 million so that Dr. Kaplan can continue his life-saving research. Dr. Kaplan is our hero, inspiration and devoted solider to finding a cure and improving patient care in the fight against cancer.

"These two gentleman are true champions of great causes and friends of Harley Marine Services. We are honored to name these vessels after them," said Harley Franco. The tugs presence on the West Coast will support our ship assist and tanker escort business by providing more horsepower and strength to the ports.