Two U.S. Flag 4,300HP Tugs Sold

Marcon International, Inc. of Coupeville, Washington is pleased to report the seventh and eighth tug sales of the year, with the deliveries of the 4,300HP, tugs Colleen McAllister (ex-Ellena Hicks, Hull 685) and Katie G. McAllister (ex-Libby Black, Hull 671) to new Owners Port City Marine Services of Muskegon, Michigan.

The 124.0’ x 33.1’ x 19.9’ depth / 18.0’ loaded draft tugs were built in 1967 and 1966 respectively by Gulfport Shipbuilding Corp. of Port Arthur, Texas for Gulf Coast Transit Company, subsidiary of TECO Transport & Trade, of Tampa, Florida and mated up with the 420’ x 80’, 17,193dwt, ocean dry bulk barges Thelma Collins and Barbara Vaught, both of which have since been scrapped. McAllister Towing & Transportation of New York purchased both tugs from TECO Transport in 2003. The Colleen McAllister and Katie G. McAllister are fitted with raised foc’stle bows and elevated pilothouses with 45 - 47’ heights of eye and powered by twin EMD 12-645E5s with Falk 4.27:1 gears and fixed pitch open props. Towing gear consists of Markey TYS 36 single drum, 2-speed tow winches with a capacity of 2,200’ of 2.25” wire. Tugs are classed ABS +A1, Towing Service, +AMS, Unrestricted Service. Port City Marine left New York City for Muskegon with the Colleen McAllister under tow of the Katie G. McAllister. Estimated time of arrival is just prior to Christmas, depending on weather and St. Lawrence Seaway traffic. New owners intend to outfit both tugs with Bludworth AT/B connection systems and utilize them in a similar capacity to their Prentiss Brown and Bradshaw McKee. Marcon brokered to Port City the 4,300HP sister-tug Prentiss Brown (ex- Michaela McAllister, Betty Culbreath) in 2008 and the 4,300BHP Bradshaw McKee (ex-Susan W. Hannah, Kings Challenger, IMT No. 1) to Port City in 2009 and has handled numerous sales & purchases over the years for McAllister.

With the sales of the Colleen McAllister and Katie G. McAllister, Marcon has brokered a total of 321 tugs with a total of 998,457HP for sale or charter in the last 35 years. We hope to break the 1,000,000HP mark by year’s end.

Marcon has concluded eighteen sales and charters concluded so far this year. 1,410 vessels and barges have been sold or chartered since 1981. Three 5,000+ HP twin screw and ASD tugs continue to be fixed on previously arranged long-term charters in the U.S. and Latin America. Several additional sales are pending.