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Crowley Shipping

Ship Assist and Tanker Escort

Meet the Fleet

As a proud service provider in the Pacific Northwest since the 1920s, we provide escort and docking services for tankers, container ships and other vessels throughout the region.

The Pacific Northwest presents some very distinct environmental and physical challenges, but our highly flexible tugboats in the region support the operational needs of our customers wherever they do business.

In North Puget Sound, we assist tankers, ATBs, and other large vessels in and out of berths and provide escort services throughout rugged coastal region, which, at times, experiences extreme weather conditions. Our high horsepower/high bollard pull tugs, which are equipped with the latest technology in navigation, communications and firefighting equipment, have been specifically designed to provide safe and efficient escorts and assists to tankers operating in the region.

In Seattle, Tacoma and other regional surrounding ports, we provide docking services for tankers, container ships and other vessels, as well as the occasional escort.

The following tugs are in operation in the Pacific Northwest:

Vessel Name Horsepower Bollard Pull Propulsion
Nanuq 10,192 220,000 lbs Voith-Schneider Cycloidal
Tan’erliq 10,192 220,000 lbs Voith-Schneider Cycloidal
Response 7,240 154,000 lbs Voith-Schneider Cycloidal
Protector 5,500 120,000 lbs Voith-Schneider Cycloidal
Guard 5,500 120,000 lbs Voith-Schneider Cycloidal
Athena 6,368 192,000 lbs Berg Azimuthing

Since 1906, we’ve been providing tug services in the San Francisco Bay. Today, we serve the entire Bay Area region, utilizing technologically advanced and powerful Z-Drive tugs manned by experienced crews. Our tugs are available to assist in the docking, undocking and towing of container ships, car carriers, tankers and other types of vessels entering and leaving the region.

Further, our tugs are specifically designed to provide tanker escort services to ensure safe passage in and out of the San Francisco Bay refinery ports.

Our harbor tug services are backed by solid environmental, safety, and quality assurance programs, with all crews and shore-side support personnel dedicated to providing customers with the best service and the assurance that the job will be done right the first time, every time. 

The following tugs are in operation in the Bay Area:

Vessel Name Horsepower Bollard Pull Propulsion
Valor 6,800 182,000 lbs Rolls-Royce Azimuthing
Apollo 6,000 188,000 lbs. Berg Azimuthing
Delta Cathryn* 6,712 180,000 lbs. Rolls Royce Z-Drives
Delta Deana* 6,722 180,000 lbs. Rolls Royce Z-Drives
Delta Linda* 6,700 182,000 lbs. Rolls Royce Z-Drives
*Pool tugs with BayDelta

Our agile and powerful tugboat fleet provides harbor ship assist for safe entries and departures from this Southern California port complex.. We have three tractor tugs operating in the area, which provide agile maneuvering and control. We also have a new, Rapport-designed tractor tug to serve the region that provides Tier IV emission compliant engines with 90 tons of bollard pull for the biggest tankers calling the region.

These capabilities are particularly important to efficiently assist vessels in and out of the many berths of the two busiest container ports in the country. Furthermore, the State of California has declared Crowley tugs as capable of the most difficult tanker escort work in the Los Angeles and Long Beach harbors.

The following tugs are available in the Los Angeles region:

Vessel Name Horsepower Bollard Pull Propulsion
Admiral 4,800 108,800 lbs Voith-Schneider Cycloidal
Leader 4,800 108,800 lbs Voith-Schneider Cycloidal
Master 4,800 108,800 lbs Voith-Schneider Cycloidal
Hercules 6,000 176,000 lbs Caterpillar Z-Drive

We provide tug services in the Port of San Diego, California, utilizing modern tractor and Z-Drive tugboats specially designed for harbor work to ensure safe passage in and out of this specialized port. These vessels, the highest horsepower tugs in the area, are manned by highly experienced crews available to assist in the docking, undocking and towing of container ships, car carriers, tankers and other types of vessels entering and leaving this Southern California port. 

The following tugs are in operation in the Port of San Diego:

Vessel Name Horsepower Bollard Pull Propulsion
Tioga 4,500 110,000 lbs Ulstein Azimuthing
Scout 4,800 104,000 lbs Voith-Schneider Cycloidal

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