Tidewater Transportation & Terminals takes delivery of state-of-the-art towboat from Vigor Industrial

Crown Point is the first of a series of three towboats being built at Vigor for Tidewater, and will join the company’s current fleet of 16 vessels and 160 barges in mid-April.

Marc Schwartz, Maintenance & Engineering Manager at Tidewater, expressed, “The launching of the Crown Point, and the forthcoming Granite Point and Ryan Point vessels, marks an important step for Tidewater. The vessels will strengthen our fleet, as well as reinforce Tidewater’s commitment to our customers, community, and environment.”

The Crown Point is an environmentally-friendly tug with reduced air emissions and improved fuel efficiency. Designed by CT Marine, Naval Architects and Marine Engineers of Edgecomb, Maine, the vessel features a wheelhouse with exceptional all-round visibility through full height windows, leading edge navigation and communications equipment, and enhanced accommodations for the captain and crew.

“During the last year and a half, a great deal of effort went into designing, engineering and building a towboat that would meet or exceed performance parameters,” explains Bruce Reed, Chief Operations Officer and Vice President of Tidewater. “With crew endurance being a priority, we employed Noise Control Engineers of Billerica MA to develop a sound and vibration control package for the vessel. By incorporating Christie and Grey vibration control mounts and comprehensive acoustic insulation, noise levels register at less than 60 decibels in the accommodations during vessel operation.”

Tidewater Captain since 1981, Larry Bartel was one of two Captains who piloted the Crown Point through her sea trials. “Not only is it the quietest tug I have ever piloted, but it has tremendous rudder power so it can turn around a loaded tow precisely and swiftly,” certified Bartel.

Named Crown Point for the promontory on the Columbia River Gorge, approximately 15 miles east of Portland, Oregon, the towboat was constructed to safely and efficiently transport and maneuver barges up and down the waters and through the navigation locks along the Columbia Snake River.

“The delivery of the Crown Point represents the conclusion of a successful project that has further diversified Vigor’s new build portfolio” explains Bryan Nichols, director of sales at Vigor Fab. “It has been an honor to partner with Tidewater on this project and to shine a light on the fact that great vessels are being built right here in the Pacific Northwest. We are proud of the Crown Point and are confident that she will serve their company and their customers for decades to come.”

Christening ceremony of the Crown Point is scheduled in late May.

About Crown Point

At 102 feet in length and with a beam of 38 feet, the Crown Point is powered by two Caterpillar 3516C EPA Tier 3 certified diesel engines producing 2240 BHP, each at 1600 RPM. The engines drive two 92” x 100” fixed pitch, stainless steel propellers through CT28 Kort Nozzles capable of a service speed of 8 knots. Operating in the Columbia River Gorge high winds, extreme currents and swells can be considered normal piloting conditions. For this reason an enhanced steering system utilizing four steering and four flanking rudders was designed.

Electrical power is provided by two C7.1, Tier 3 generators, rated at 480v, 200KW at 1,800 RPM. The generators are controlled through an automatic transfer system that ensures the vessel will recover from a generator power loss in less than 30 seconds. Deck machinery includes seven Patterson WWP 65E-7.5, 65 ton electric deck winches, with pilot house remote operation and local push button control stations on the main deck. Each winch has Samson 1 3/8” Turbo 75 Synthetic Line.

In order to utilize the newest technology and minimize power usage, variable frequency drives were used in all major rotating machinery applications and LED lighting was employed in both interior and exterior lighting applications. The vessel is fitted with a Kidde NOVEC 1230 fire suppression system and fire detection in both the machinery spaces and accommodations.

About Tidewater

Headquartered in Vancouver, Washington, Tidewater operates the largest barge transportation and terminal network on the Columbia-Snake River system*. Tidewater transports a wide range of cargo among a network of ports, terminals and grain elevators throughout the entire Columbia-Snake River system. We also operate five strategically located terminals and five pipelines with key intermodal connections to railroads, highways and other pipelines.

Tidewater has an excellent reputation with customers, regulators and the communities we serve as a result of our strong and unwavering focus on service, safety and environmental stewardship. We at Tidewater are proud of our heritage and respect the privilege of operating on the waterways of the Pacific Northwest.

*The Columbia-Snake River system spans 465 miles from the Pacific Ocean, at the mouth of the Columbia River, inland to Lewiston, Idaho.

For more information about Tidewater Transportation and Terminals, please visit: www.tidewater.com.

About Vigor Industrial

Vigor Industrial is a leading provider of shipbuilding, ship repair and complex industrial fabrication in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.