Delta Western christens the CAPT FRANK MOODY shallow draft tugboat for 2011 summer service in Western Alaska
June 3, 2011 - RAINIER, OR - In an effort to better serve the river and coastal communities of Western Alaska waters, Delta Western will be adding a new shallow draft tug to its marine fuel fleet this summer. At a ceremony this morning at Foss Shipyard in Rainier, Oregon, Foss delivered an environmentally designed tug measuring 76' x 32' with a draft of 3.6' to Delta Western. The shallow draft tug will be christened the CAPT FRANK MOODY and will complete the three tug and barge sets operated by Delta Western for their Western Alaska fuel service deliveries. The ceremony was well attended by over 75 people from the maritime community.
The CAPT FRANK MOODY was built for Delta Western by Foss Rainier Shipyard in a seven month time period. The tug is designed for the multi-mission purposes of shallow water displacement for barge pushing mode throughout Alaska's river and coastal regions, while concurrently able to perform conventional stern towing with a Markey TES-20 electric towing winch. The vessel has accommodations for eight, featuring state-of-the-art navigation, communications, and safety equipment. The vessel propulsion and electrical power generation are all provided by Caterpillar diesel engines.
Beginning this 2011 season, the addition of the CAPT FRANK MOODY shallow draft tugboat to our marine fleet will allow us to better serve our customers throughout the coastal and river regions of Western Alaska, said Amy Humphreys, President of Delta Western. "We are committed to transporting and delivering fuel safely and efficiently and I believe our continued investment in our marine infrastructure demonstrates this commitment. The Foss team performed exceptionally throughout the entire project and we are extremely pleased with the outcome."
BMT Fleet Technology provided the tug's basic design and together with Foss's Technical Services Team developed a final product capable of operating in the most challenging regions and conditions in Western Alaska. All fabrication and outfitting was completed in-house by Foss Shipyard in Rainier, OR. "This project was a great opportunity for Foss Shipyard to demonstrate our capability of building a state-of-the-art vessel within a tight time frame, yet without compromise to design specifications or construction quality," said Mike Magill, VP Technical Services for Foss Maritime Company. "We are confident that Delta Western and its customers will benefit greatly with this new shallow draft tug."
The christening was attended by members of Captain Frank Moody's family and friends along with representatives from Delta Western, Foss Maritime, Saltchuk Resources and other organizations. A celebratory lunch reception was held at the shipyard following the event.
Captain Frank Moody was a respected and remarkable individual in many ways, said Ms. Humphreys. "Not the least of which -- 'a tug boat captain extraordinaire', as characterized by Captain Frank's family. With the christening of our new tug as the CAPT FRANK MOODY, we hope to adequately recognize and honor Captain Frank for his contribution to Delta Western as well as Frank's many years of dedicated service to the Western Alaska regions we serve."
The CAPT FRANK MOODY will depart the Foss Shipyard shortly after the christening ceremony and steam north for Bristol Bay, Alaska.
Delta Western is a leading independent marketer and distributor of petroleum products throughout Southeast, the Aleutian Chain and Western Alaska. Delta Western has been serving Alaskans since 1985. The company has fuel terminal facilities in Juneau, Wrangell, Yakutat, Haines, Dutch Harbor, Naknek, Dillingham, and the Pribilof Islands; and offices in Anchorage and Seattle. Delta Western operates retail gas stations; delivers home heating fuel; and provides direct fuel and lubricant deliveries through commercial and wholesale channels throughout Alaska. The company sells a variety of gasoline grades, heating fuel and diesel and aviation fuel.
Corporate Headquarters: Delta Western, 420 L Street, Suite 101, Anchorage, Alaska 99501; 800-478-2688;
More about Delta Western, Inc.:
www.deltawestern.com
Foss Maritime's two Pacific Northwest shipyards in Seattle, WA and Rainier, OR provide full service from naval architecture and marine engineering to vessel design, construction, and repair. Our team of experienced craftspeople provides cost-effective vessel repairs, major conversions and routine maintenance to commercial and recreational vessels. We service tugs, barges, workboats, passenger and car ferries, fishing fleets, fish processing vessels and government vessels.
On the leading edge of marine technology, engineering and boat building, the Foss Rainier shipyard constructs reliable, efficiently designed, and expertly crafted vessels. We offer new construction and repair of tugs, pilot boats, fireboats, barges and other workboats—and hybrid tug conversions. The Foss Seattle shipyard, one of the most completely equipped yards on the Pacific coast, offers full-service vessel repair and maintenance.
Corporate Headquarters: Foss Shipyard, 660 West Ewing St. Seattle, WA 98119. 206-281-3806.
More about Foss Shipyards:
www.foss.com
