They are a familiar sight along the Savannah riverfront, escorting and helping the big ships in and out of the harbor.
Now Moran Towing, one of two towing companies that do the heavy lifting at our port, has provided a model of their latest, state-of-the-art tug to the growing collection of modern ocean-going vessels on display at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center.
The James A. Moran, decked out in the company’s signature red, is an example of Moran’s ongoing program of building high-escort tractor tugs. This tug is capable of docking anything that comes up the Savannah River, including the largest container ships expected to arrive with the opening of the expanded Panama Canal.
Twin 16-cylinder German-made engines produce continuous 3,000 horsepower propulsion while remaining Tier II Emissions compliant. The engines connect to Shottel drive units that direct propulsion in any direction to a propeller 9 feet in diameter.
In the wheelhouse, the tug has the latest electronic navigation equipment as well as camera recording equipment.
Built in 2011 by Washburn & Doughty of East Boothbay, Maine, and put into service in 2012, the James A. Moran is 93 feet long with a beam of 38 feet. Four staterooms, three bathrooms and a full-fitted galley allow the crew of seven to rotate shifts and comfortably operate 24/7.
The tug is assigned to the Port of Savannah and does about 98 percent of her work here, escorting and docking ships, said Rene DeRussy, with Moran operations in Savannah.
“It is an oceangoing tug, however, capable of doing most anything a tug boat is called on to do,” he said. “If it were to go offshore, we would beef up the crew according to regulations.”
Moran was founded in 1860 when Michael Moran opened a towing brokerage in New York Harbor. Three years later, Moran purchased half ownership in a tugboat, a fleet he would grow exponentially.
Moran himself painted the first white “M” on a red tugboat stack, somewhere around 1880, according to company archives. The logo became a fixture in New York Harbor and is recognized worldwide.
The business stayed in the family for more than 130 years. In 1994, Thomas Moran sold the company to a pair of maritime businessmen on the promise that Moran’s business philosophy and corporate culture remain intact.
Today, Moran owns and operates 95 tugs — including 5 in Savannah and 3 in Brunswick — and 30 barges, serving 16 U.S. ports from New Hampshire to Texas.
ILA ratifies agreement
In a coast-wide referendum Tuesday, the International Longshoremen’s association ratified a new, six-year contract with management for East and Gulf coast operations.
Nearly 90 percent of the union’s membership voted yes, according to the Journal of Commerce, with all locals approving the contract for the first time in modern ILA history.
ILA president Harold Daggett told the JOC he was “thrilled” to see the contract ratified by such an overwhelming margin.
“We all worked very hard, achieved landmark improvements and protected our members and our union for many years,” he said.
In Savannah, ILA Local 1414 members voted 687 yes to 64 no.
Mary Carr Mayle covers ports for Savannah Morning News and Savannahnow.com. She can by reached at 912-652-0324 or mary.mayle@savannahnow.com.
SHIPPING SCHEDULE
The following ships are expected to call on Georgia Ports Authority’s Garden City and Ocean terminals in the next week. Schedules are provided by GPA and subject to change.
TERMINAL SHIP ARRIVAL
GCT ZIM PANAMA Today
GCT MSC ORIANE Today
GCT PRESIDENT TRUMAN Today
GCT MSC CAROLE Today
GCT XIN NAN TONG Today
GCT HANJIN SAN FRANCISCO Today
OT TALISMAN Today
GCT MSC MARINA Saturday
GCT DEIRA Saturday
GCT CMA CGM EIFFEL Saturday
GCT EVER DELUXE Saturday
GCT ALBERT MAERSK Saturday
GCT PHILADELPHIA EXPRESS Saturday
GCT CANADA EXPRESS Saturday
OT GRANDE GUINEA Saturday
GCT CAFER DEDE Sunday
GCT TOKYO EXPRESS Sunday
GCT ROME EXPRESS Monday
GCT ZIM VIRGINIA Monday
GCT NYK CONSTELLATION Monday
GCT YM KEELUNG Monday
GCT HANJIN CHITTAGONG Monday
GCT MSC MELISSA Tuesday
GCT MSC HEIDI Tuesday
GCT APL MALAYSIA Tuesday
GCT MAERSK DELLYS Tuesday
GCT KIEL EXPRESS Tuesday
GCT STUTTGART EXPRESS Wednesday
GCT SEA-LAND METEOR Wednesday
GCT FOUMA Wednesday
GCT MOL PARADISE Wednesday
GCT HYUNDAI FORWARD Wednesday
GCT PARIS EXPRESS Wednesday
GCT ZIM TARRAGONA Wednesday
GCT UASC DOHA Thursday
GCT SUEZ CANAL BRIDGE Thursday
GCT OOCL BRITAIN Thursday
GCT MSC SARISKA Thursday
GCT MAERSK DAVENPORT Thursday
GCT MAERSK ROUBAIX Thursday
GCT MAERSK OHIO Thursday
OT TAMESIS Thursday
OT OBERON Thursday