Page 44: of Marine News Magazine (January 2026)

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Vessels

ESG Launches Saltchuk Escort Tug

Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) launched the ? rst of the four Saltchuk escort tugs, marking substantial progress on this signi? cant ? eet renewal program. “We are proud to advance this important project for Saltchuk Marine and look forward to continued progress as we move toward delivering these high-quality escort tugs,” said Joey D’Isernia, CEO of

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. “These four vessels set a new maritime standard that will positively impact the indus- try by meeting new rigorous environmental requirements.” said Jason Childs, Saltchuk Marine’s President and CEO.

The four escort tugs are part of a long-term ? eet renewal initiative for Saltchuk Marine, to be built at ESG’s facili- ties in Allanton and Port St. Joe, Florida. Upon delivery, they will support critical ship assist and escort operations across the U.S. West Coast, Hawaii, and Alaska.

Main Particulars

Owner Saltchuk

Type Ship Assist/Escort Tug

Length (o.a.) 84'-0? (excluding fenders)

Breadth (molded) 42'-0?

Depth, (molded) 14'-0?

Draft, navigation 18'-7?

Accommodation 8 persons

Speed, ahead 12 knots

Bollard Pull, minimum 95 Short Tons (86.2 MT)

Main Engines Caterpillar 3516E, EPA Tier 4, 3500 hp (2610 kW) @ 1,800 rpm

Thrusters Schottel RudderPropeller SRP 510

Hawser Winch Markey Machine DEPGF-52, 75HP, Single Drum

Class II Winch

Eastern Shipbuilding Group

Ocean In? nity Completes Armada Fleet Update boundaries of robotics and technology at sea.

Each vessel is mobilized with a tailored suite of equip- ment, including advanced underwater robotic systems, en- abling a wide range of data collection tasks. From geophysi- cal surveys to geotechnical investigations, these capabilities support complex offshore projects globally from the United

States to Europe and the Asia Paci? c, delivering high qual- ity data and driving innovation in subsea operations.

Ocean In? nity “Completing the Armada 86-m class marks an extraor-

Ocean In? nity reached a milestone with the delivery of dinary moment – ? ve years ago we said we’d build a ? eet of the ? nal vessel in its 14-vessel Armada ? eet, featuring ad- fourteen ships, designed unconventionally because speed vanced underwater robotic systems capable of a wide range to capability mattered – and we’ve done it, despite the of data collection tasks. Over the past ? ve years, Ocean In- many challenges along the way. What started out as a bold ? nity has built and deployed a ? eet of lean crewed vessels. ambition is now a reality. These vessels are not a concept

This latest delivery completes the 86-m class of Armada or an R&D project – they are operating today, transform- ships, following the successful introduction of the 78-me- ing the way offshore work is done by focusing on software ter class in 2023. Twelve vessels are now in operation, with and technology ? rst,” said Oliver Plunkett, Chief Execu- the remaining two following close behind, pushing the tive Of? cer.

MN January 2026 44 |