Crowley adds new tug to Los Angeles and Long Beach operations
Crowley has accepted delivery of Venture, a new U.S.-built tugboat that will support ship assist and escort operations at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in Southern California.
The 82-foot vessel, which will operate under charter, is designed to assist large commercial ships during port approaches, departures and manoeuvring operations. Its addition expands Crowley’s harbour support capabilities at the San Pedro Bay port complex, which handles a substantial share of U.S. containerised trade.
Built by Diversified Marine, Inc. on the Columbia River, Venture is compliant with the Jones Act and incorporates propulsion and manoeuvring systems designed for demanding harbour operations.
New tug delivers high bollard pull capacity
Venture is powered by two Caterpillar 3516 engines that comply with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Tier IV emissions requirements. Together, the engines generate more than 6,000 horsepower.
The tug is equipped with azimuth stern drive thrusters, providing manoeuvrability for ship assistance and escort operations. It can deliver up to 95 tons of bollard pull, enabling it to support some of the largest commercial vessels calling at North American ports.
The vessel will join Crowley’s existing West Coast fleet alongside its sister Tier IV Rapport tugs Athena, Apollo, Hercules and Artemis.
John Ara, Vice President of Marine Services at Crowley, said the addition strengthens the company’s capacity to support vessel movements through Los Angeles and Long Beach, particularly as larger ships place significant demands on harbour assistance services.
Supporting vessel movements at San Pedro Bay
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach together form the busiest container port complex in the United States. Their operations depend on harbour support services to assist vessels navigating confined waterways, approaching terminals and completing docking and undocking manoeuvres.
Escort tugs provide additional manoeuvring and operational support during these movements, particularly for large vessels operating within busy port environments.
Crowley provides ship assist and escort services around the clock, supporting vessel movements through the Southern California gateway.
The delivery of Venture adds another high-powered tug to these operations, expanding the company’s available harbour support capacity at the two ports.
