New Tug Sneak Peek...

TowBoatU.S. New River is in the final stages of completing a new tug to compliment their yacht towing fleet. This tug started her life as a 26' Dusky that the company purchased in Mississippi along the Gulf Coast. After over a year of stripping the boat down to the bare 1" thick fiberglass hull, design work, fabrication, and finish work; the only similarity to the original vessel is the hull itself. The tug has been fitted with a new stringer system and engine beds, while keel cooling has been added to ensure that the John Deere power plants don't fall victim to overheating due to debris being ingested into a traditional raw water cooling system. The engine and running gear were specifically designed to handle the rigors of yacht towing. Yacht captains will take comfort in the fact that the company maximized bollard pull by fitting this tug with 2.75:1 gears, 2" shafts and 30" four blade Nibral propellers; a package that is very stout for a 26' boat. We chose this vessel because her heavy construction; having more power in a smaller tug allows us to tow and provide yard assists to yachts that are growing larger and larger each year.

Look for a complete slide show of the project after the boat is splashed in the next edition of the New River Navigator!