Facet Tug Evolution

Bear with me here.  Let’s go back to 1999.  Nicole Leigh Reinauer was built in Alabama Shipyard to push a 135,000 brl barge.  Look at the lines of this 118′ x 40 tug working with 7200 hp.

Ruth M. Reinauer is Senesco hull # 202, 112′ x 35′ and 4000 hp. She is the first of the “facet tugs.”  As you can read in the link in the previous sentence, the design change was driven by easing the construction process of both tugs and double-skin barges.   If the shape of the reminder of tugboats in this post seem odd to you, read this interesting article by Casey Conley with a title that alludes to the (now retired) F-117 fighter.

Laurie Ann Reinauer followed, same dimensions and power and hull # 203.

Reinauer Twins came out in September 2011, same basic dimensions by greater horsepower . .  4720.

I’m not sure what happened with hull#205, but #206 is B. Franklin Reinauer, 110′ x 33′ and 4000 hp.

By the way, there’s a LOT going on in the background of this photo, including what appears to be dredge Atchafalaya in dry dock.

Curtis is hull# 207, same numbers.

 

 

Haggerty Girls is hull# 208, same numbers.

 

 

Dean Reinauer is hull# 210, 112.2′ x 35′ and 4720 hp.

 

 

And that brings us up to date with respect to Reinauer facet tugs . ..  it’s Dylan Cooper, operating less than a full year now, with the same numbers as Dean Reinauer.

 

 

Note that it was exactly five years ago that we were following the trials and tribulations of loading the previous Curtis and Dean Reinauer  onto the heavy lift ship for West African waters.   I’d love to see photos of those tugs five years on and working out of Nigeria.  Does anyone out there have access to such?

For extensive documentation of many of these facet tugs during the building process, click here for the bulging albums created by Rod Smith at Narragansett Bay Shipping.

All photos of the handsome set of workhorses by Will Van Dorp.