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.

 

 

Random Tugs 159

If you have a lot of free time, you can trace this back to the first installment.

These photos are all from the past week, starting out with Bouchard Boys, 1975.

Pelham, 1960.  Behind her is USNS Red Cloud.

Barney Turecamo (1995) and

 

Scott Turecamo (1998).

Eric R. Thornton (1960)

Jill Reinauer (1967) and Dace Reinauer (1968) with RTC 61.

Add Stephen-Scott (1967) and Ruth M. Reinauer (2008) pushing RTC 102.

 

Margaret Moran (1979) starting a backing-down of Heina with

James D. Moran (2015).  More on this backing down later this week.

Captain D (1974) with CVA-604.

Meagan Ann (1975)

Houma (1970).

Frances (1957) and I think I know the crewman forward of the house.

And finally, I put this photo here because of a boat in the background.  Is that Kristy Ann Reinauer (1962)?  I thought she was scrapped half a year ago already.  Hmm.

Other boats here are L. to r.) Realist, Kristy Ann, Hubert Bays, Long Splice, Samantha Miller, Stephen B, and Hunt Girls, which has been in the yard there for (?) two years now?

All photos by Will Van Dorp.

 

Random Tugs 155

First, my take on the identification of the tug from the film in yesterday’s post, it’s a model and filmed in New Deal Studios in LA.    That would explain the logistics.

So, for today, let’s start with Miss Katie . . . outbound last Thursday.

Miss Katie, 1998

 

Mister T, 2001

 

Ruth M. Reinauer, 2008, pushing RTC 102

 

Discovery Coast, 2012

 

Kirby Moran, 2015, assisting STI Fulham

 

JRT Moran, 2015

 

McAllister Girls, 1968, moving B. No. 231

 

Amy C McAllister, 1975, also assisting B. No. 231

 

Brian Nicholas, 1966.   Sturgeon Bay, 1987

 

Eric McAllister, 2014, passing NYK Nebula

 

Irish Sea, 1969

 

James D. Moran, 2015, assisting NYK Nebula

And finally, we return to Miss Katie because two days later, she caught some unwanted attention.  Details here.

 

All photos by Will Van Dorp.

Fog 16

When Walter’s building looks like this in the center of the island,

the sixth boro looks like this.   Here Ava Jude pushes a Hughes barge past Ruth M. Reinauer wedded to RTC 102.

Eastern Welder fishes as Emma Miller services Asphalt Star.

Wolf River does hydrographic work while

Chesapeake Coast lighters Elixir, and just beyond

Amazon Brilliance belies her name.

Awaiting orders or favorable tide and each with a barge, it’s McAllister Sisters and McKinley Sea.

Here’s to hoping for fog to dissipate.

All photos by Will Van Dorp.

 

Random Tugs 113

Barney Turecamo with barge Georgia  and

Buchanan 12 light, under the same wintry sky.  The last time I saw the 12 was back when tugster last took a swimming day.  I’d love to see the high and dry hulls of Barney and Mary.

Franklin Reinauer and Taft Beach leaving Erie Basin and

Franklin here refueling with Ruth M.

Robert E. McAllister, passing where warehouses are being transformed into park equipment and

Passing the cranes at the former Military Ocean terminal it’s Mary Gellatly and headed the other way

Marjorie B. McAllister.

Joyce D. Brown westbound past IMTT and here a few minutes later Joyce with

Meredith C. Reinauer right behind.

Shelby slings some barges and

magnificent Maryland –as seen from a low angle–made to the dock.

A Vane unit . . . I don’t recall and can’t identify . . . a few minutes after sunrise.

All fotos taken the past month by Will Van Dorp.

Random Tugs 102

Here’s a first-timer for me in the sixth boro . . . Miss Emily, a saltwater member of the huge Marquette Transportation fleet.  Look carefully and you’ll see she sports equipment not commonly seen here.

One of my favorite harbor vessels . . . now called Ellen McAllister, used to do gray-work in Holy Loch, Scotland.  Here’s more on Holy Loch and its role in the Cold War.

Zachery Reinauer was built upstate at Matton 42 years ago.

Kristy Ann Reinauer, 51 years old, offers some style hints of 1960s trucks like this one. 

I’ve no idea how long Harry McNeal has worked the boro, but she was launched in Louisiana in 1965.

Ditto my question on history of Robert IV . .  who launched in Louisiana in 1975.

Ruth M. Reinauer is the mother of facet tugs launched in Rhode Island around a half decade ago.

Discovery Coast might be the newest tug in this installment.  It’s the creation of Frank Basile, whose bio as written by Brian Gauvin can be found here.  For a portfolio of his work, click here.

JoAnne III Reinauer, a 1970 vessel with a 2008 aluminum tower is one of the more unusual tugs in the sixth boro.  For a before-after look on tugster, click here.

Finally, a 1980 Oyster Bay, NY built vessel . . . now called Siberian Sea.

And that equipment unique to Miss Emily . . . it’s this knotted rope escape system.  To see this in use, look at fotos 7 and 8 in this tugster post from three years ago.

All fotos taken–with icy fingers–by Will Van Dorp, in the past few days.

Arctic Sixth Boro

Call me a wimp . . .  but it’s icy out there.  And yet people work outside.  Bravo and hats on for the crews and shipyard workers out there where the spray sometimes freezes.  Some quick fotos I took yesterday.  Would you believe this is the same DBL 140 barge you see in the 5th and 6th fotos here?

Here’s DBL 140 and Lincoln Sea from across the Upper Bay.

Traffic never stops because of some cold.

A tanker with a classic name 

lighters just north of the VZ Bridge.  Here’s the rest of the fleet and more.

One positive about cold, low humidity air . . . it’s clear.  Ocean Leader could never look this good

on a muggy summer day.

Ditto Ruth M. Reinauer moving RTC 102 with an assist from Jill Reinauer.

Anyone handling line on a day like this needs the right gear and

a focus on getting the work done safely.

Bravo and hats on!!