Page 34: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 2000)

Workboat Report • Marine Propulsion

Pacific Coast Maritime. As a result, yard in Seattle. Each tug is powered by performance nozzles. Franco says he control of injection timing. Fuel con-

Olympic Tug & Barge acquired its first twin, electronically-controlled Caterpil- selected electronically controlled sumption and exhaust emissions are tractor tug, the Gyrfalcon. It also lar 3516B diesels delivering 4,400 bhp engines because they produce more reduced at all levels of loading, attained its first double-hull barge. In @ 1,600 rpm, supplied by N C Power power compared to mechanically con- Emissions management was a key fac-

April of this year, the company took Systems Co. in Seattle and financed by trolled engines of the same number of tor when parent company Harley Marine delivery of the new 105-ft. (32 m) trac- Caterpillar Financial Services Corpora- cylinders, size and weight. An electron- Services moved forward with its ship tor tug Millennium Falcon, and in Sep- tion through their marine division. The ic control module (ECM) replaces the assist program — particularly because it tember launched the Millennium Star, engines turn Ulstein stern Z-drives with traditional mechanical governor with would be operating in California waters.

The tugs were built by MARCO Ship- 94.5-in. propellers inside Ulstein high- precise, infinitely variable electronic "That's why we selected Caterpillar engines," says Rod Gullickson,

Olympic Tug & Barge vice president and general manager. "The 3516B engine met and exceeded California Air

Resources Board regulations better than any of the competitors. It seemed to be the proven product in that horsepower class." "Another reason was that we're trying to standardize," adds Gregg Nelsen,

Harley Marine Services' director of maintenance and engineering. "With a uniform fleet, there's economy of scale in parts, service and training. Safety improves, too, because crews know that all the equipment works or can be main- tained in a certain way. We see a lot of value in that."

After completing sea trials this fall, the Millennium Star will join its sister- ship Millennium Falcon at the Port of

Los Angeles — the busiest port in the

U.S. and third largest in the world. Also on duty is the Escort Eagle, a leased 115-ft.(35 m) tractor tug powered by

Cat 3512 engines and Aquamaster 1350 drives. Harley Marine Services entered this competitive market two years ago by purchasing the assets of established

Links Marine, launching Westoil

Marine Services, a Long Beach bunker and petroleum transportation company with three barges. Millennium Marine was formed earlier this year to manage tug operations. "Entering the L.A. market was a nat- ural," Franco says. "For us, bunker and ship assist go hand-in-hand. Based on volume, we now have 70 percent of the bunkering business there, so it makes sense to push our oil barges around with what we think are the best multipurpose tractor tugs."

Although Harley Marine Services continues to expand into new markets, the original Olympic Tug & Barge busi- ness plan — to be a service-oriented company sensitive to environmental needs — continues as a key corporate mission. "We have been dedicated to investing in reliable, high-technology that helps protect the environment,"

Franco says. "Buying a tractor tug marked our 'arrival' in the industry, and now we're the only group on the West

Coast building double-hull bunker barges. Our selection of low emission engines is another example — we'll be relying on them for the next 20 years."

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