Page 37: of Marine News Magazine (February 2020)

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ATBs

Credit: Vane Bros.

operates four ATBs, with tugs paired with barges trading drybulk raw ma- terials around the Lakes. One unit, tug Joyce L. VanEnkevort, married to the self-unloading barge Great Lakes

Trader, was built in 1998 by Bay

Shipbuilding. The Sturgeon Bay yard is set to deliver an additional ATB, also with a self-unloading barge, to

VanEnkevort in mid-2020.

ATBs have also provided a solu- tion in the dredging business. East- ern Shipbuilding, in Panama City,

Fla. delivered an ATB-con? gured trailing suction hopper dredge El- lis Island (mated with tug Douglas

B. Mackie) to industry leader Great

Lakes Dredge and Dock. In the com- ing years, we will likely see continued penetration of ATBs deep into the

U.S. coastwise business, and poten- tially into markets abroad, as well, where the tug offers economic ad- vantages compared to a ship.

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