Vane Brothers, a premier marine transportation provider headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, has taken delivery of the tugboat Baltimore. The Baltimore is the third of eight vessels in Vane’s Elizabeth Anne Class of 4,200-horsepower tugboats contracted through St. Johns Ship Building in Palatka, Florida. The fourth in the series, the Delaware, is scheduled for completion this winter.
Vane Brothers President C. Duff Hughes says, “Our partnership with St. Johns Ship Building has enabled us to invigorate our fleet with topline workmanship and cutting-edge technology in order to ensure safety for our crews and the environment, as well as reliability for our customers.”
The Baltimore is the 30th vessel completed for Vane Brothers under the supervision of Senior Port Captain Jim Demske, whose reputation for delivering superior tugboats that emphasize crew comfort, safety and efficiency is widely recognized in the maritime industry. Demske is especially impressed with the rugged, sturdy heart of the Elizabeth Anne Class tugboats. “While most people are immediately drawn to the elegant exterior paint and joiner work of our new tugs, the quality of the underlying steel work is truly incredible,” Demske says. “St. Johns Ship Building is doing all of their own cutting using a new CNC (Computerized Numerical Control) machine, as well as their own fit-up and welding of these vessels. The attention to every detail is what makes this end product so beautiful.”
Designed by Frank Basile, P.E., of Entech Designs, LLC, Vane Brothers’ Elizabeth Anne Class tugboats are close cousins of the company’s Basile-designed Patapsco Class tugboats, 15 of which were produced between 2004 and 2009. Measuring 100 feet long and 34 feet wide, with a hull depth of 15 feet, the model-bow Baltimore utilizes two Caterpillar 3516 Tier 3 engines, each generating 2,100 horsepower at 1,600 rpm. Two John Deere PowerTech 4045, 99 kW generators deliver service power to the boat; a third John Deere 4045 teamed with an Allison transmission drives the chain-driven INTERCON DD200 towing winch. The Baltimore features the latest in solid-state, Simrad electronics and handsomely appointed mahogany upper and lower pilothouses, as well as spacious accommodations for up to seven crewmembers.
Primarily tasked with towing petroleum barges engaged in the North Atlantic coastwise trade, the Baltimore has joined the Hudson and the Elizabeth Anne among 20 vessels that are part of Vane’s Delta Fleet, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.