News

New Young Brothers Kāpena Class Tug Christened

July 2, 2018

The first of four new tugs will soon enter service in Hawai’i HONOLULU – The Kāpena Jack Young, the first of four new ocean-going tugs that will soon begin neighbor island service for Young Brothers, has been christened in Louisiana. The Kāpena Jack Young, designed by Damen USA and built by Louisiana-based Conrad Shipyard, marks the arrival of the first new Kāpena class tugs built for Hawai‘i-based Young Brothers, an independent subsidiary of Foss Maritime. “Kāpena” means “captain” in the Hawaiian language, and the name for the class of ships celebrates the skill and innovation of Young Brothers’ Hawaiian navigators and will be home-ported in Kaunakakai, Moloka‘i. The new class of tugs are designed to match Young Brothers’ fleet of modern high capacity barges, and will improve the company’s ability to provide “just-in-time” cargo service to Neighbor Island communities, while enhancing service through lower maintenance down time, better tow speeds, greater operating efficiencies, and lower emissions. The Kāpena Jack Young is named after Captain Jack Young, one of three brothers who founded Young Brothers in 1900. Each of the four new Kāpena class tugs will be named after an original Young Brothers’ captain, including nā Kāpena George Panui Sr. and Jr., Bob Purdy, and Raymond Alapa‘i. The christening of the Kāpena Jack Young was held at Port Fourchon with representatives of Young Brothers, Foss Maritime, Conrad, and Damen in attendance, as well as Sharon Young, Jack Young’s granddaughter, who sponsored the vessel. “The four new Kāpena class tugs, represent our future while honoring our past. Once in service, the average age of our fleet will be reduced from an average age of 44 years to 12 years young,” said Joe Boivin, new President of Young Brothers. “The new tugs reinforce our commitment to safety, environmental stewardship and customer service.” The 6,000 horsepower, 123 foot by 36.5’ vessel is powered by General Electric 8L250MDC—state-of-the-art EPA Tier IV emissions compliant exhaust gas re-circulation engines. “I’m very impressed with the work that has been done by Conrad shipyards and Damen USA in the delivery of the first of our four new, state-of-the-art, Tier 4 tugs,” said John Parrott, President and CEO of Foss Maritime. “We worked with Young Brothers to research various tug hull designs, engines, and towing equipment options. The construction of these new tugs supports Young Brothers’ in providing reliable, affordable and frequent services throughout the Hawaiian islands—now and in the future.” # # # Video footage of the christening available upon request.

73 Foss Maritime Vessels Honored for Environmental Excellence

November 15, 2017

Thirty-nine Vessels Recognized for 10+ Years of Incident-Free Operations SEATTLE— With a combined 877 years without an incident, 73 Foss Maritime and subsidiary companies’ tugs and tank barges have been recognized by The Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA) for their environmental records. CSA announced the 2017 Environmental Achievement Awards on Nov. 8, 2017, in Washington, D.C.    The Edith Foss at work. Foss and its sister companies have 39 vessels with 10 or more years without an environmental incident, with 11 of those vessels achieving 20+ years of environmental excellence. The Edith Foss is one of the Foss Maritime vessels that have been free of environmental mishaps for more than 20 years. “This award underscores our dedication to the highest safety standards and care for the environment,” said John Parrott, Foss CEO. “These values are an important part of our corporate culture and what our customers demand. We live, work and play on the waters and in the communities we serve, so safeguarding the environment is a core responsibility, and we take pride in it.” The awards are open to all owners and operators of vessels that operate on oceans or inland waterways. “These awards celebrate the dedication to environmental excellence of our seafarers and the company personnel shore-side who operate our vessels to the highest standards,” said Kathy J. Metcalf, president of CSA, praising the award recipients for their commitment to serving as stewards of the environment. A list of the vessels receiving the 2017 Environmental Achievement Award is posted on CSA’s websitewww.knowships.org. Click on “News & Events,” then “Press Releases.”

74 Foss Maritime Vessels Honored for Environmental Excellence 

November 9, 2016

Thirty-seven Vessels Recognized for 10+ Years of Incident-Free Operation

WASHINGTON, DC – With a combined 843 years without an incident, 74 Foss Maritime and subsidiary companies’ tugs and tank barges have been recognized by a major maritime organization for their environmental records.

	Wedell Foss assisting the CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin

The Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA) announced the 2016 Environmental Achievement Awards honoring the Seattle-based company’s work on Nov.2, 2016, in Washington, D.C. Foss and its sister companies have 37 vessels with 10 or more years without an environmental incident, with 11 of those vessels achieving 20+ years of environmental excellence. The Wedell Foss and the Stacey Foss are just two of the Foss Maritime vessels that have been free of environmental mishaps for more than 20 years.

“We are truly honored by this award, since it underscores our dedication to the highest safety standards and care for the environment,” said John Parrott, Foss CEO. “These values are an important part of our corporate culture and also what our customers demand.”

The awards are open to all owners and operators of vessels that operate on oceans or inland waterways.

“Foss’ commitment to safeguarding the environmental is something that we take great pride in,” said Susan Hayman, Vice President of HSQE and External Affairs at Foss. “We engineer and build our state-of-the-art vessels to exceed environmental and safety requirements. It’s this commitment that helps make Foss an industry leader.”

“These awards celebrate the dedication to environmental excellence of our seafarers and the company personnel shore-side who operate our vessels to the highest standards,” said Kathy J. Metcalf, president of CSA, praising the award recipients for their commitment to serving as stewards of the environment.

A list of the vessels receiving the 2016 Environmental Achievement Award is posted on CSA’s website www.knowships.org. Click on “News & Events,” then “Press Releases.”

Second Foss Arctic Class Ocean Tug Christened 

June 7, 2016

Powerful Denise Foss ready to join the fleet in the Arctic far North 

SEATTLE, Wash., – The second of three state-of-the-art Arctic Class tugs, the Denise Foss, was christened June 1, 2016 at the Foss Waterway Seaport in Tacoma, Wash. Built at the Foss Rainier, OR. Shipyard, the Denise is designed to operate in the extreme conditions of the far north, and will enter service this summer.

John Parrott introducing Denise Tabbutt.

Foss COO John Parrott conducted opening remarks. Parrott applauded the hard work and dedication of the people, designers, and customers that made this project possible. He also introduced Denise Tabbutt, the vessel’s namesake and one of the three sisters who are primary shareholders of Saltchuk, the parent company of Foss Maritime.

Tabbutt spoke at the event and had the honor of breaking the ceremonial bottle of  champagne across the hull of the Denise Foss. “It’s a proud moment for the people whose vision and leadership inspired the creation of this tugboat class to support our commitment to Alaska and the Arctic,” said Tabbutt. “In order to stay relevant in a fast and ever changing world, it’s important we remain committed to our shared values and continue looking for opportunities to better serve our customers. The Arctic Class tugs are the perfect example of this commitment.”

Mike Magill, Vice President of Foss’ Technical Services, praised the team at the Rainier Shipyard–many who were present for the christening–for their commitment to safety, quality, and the obvious pride they take in their work.

“The Rainier shipyard is now gone 879 days without a Lost Time Incident,” said Magill. “In an industry where far too often injuries and accidents are answered with excuses, the Rainier team has taken responsibility to embrace our safety culture and the results bear this out.”

The Denise Foss is ice class D0, meaning the hulls are designed specifically for polar waters and are reinforced to maneuver in ice. The first of the three Arctic tugs, the Michele Foss debut in 2015 and has performed above and beyond expectations. The Michele lead the way in safely pioneering a new route across the North Slope, while operating in extreme conditions of first year ice a meter thick.

Like the Michele, the Denise complies with the requirements in the ABS Guide for Building and Classing Vessels

The Denise Foss, ready for the Arctic far North.

Intended to Operate in Polar Waters, including ABS A1 standards, SOLAS and Green Passport. She includes a Caterpillar C280-8 main engine, which complies with the highest federal environmental standards; a Nautican propulsion system; and Reintjes reduction gears. Markey Machinery supplied the tow winch.

The tug has a bollard pull of 221,000 pounds.

The vessel incorporates several environmentally focused designs and structural and technological upgrades, including:

• Elimination of ballast tanks, so there is no chance of transporting invasive species;
• Holding tanks for black and gray water to permit operations in no-discharge zones (such as parts of Alaska and California);
• Hydraulic oil systems compatible with biodegradable oil; Energy efficient LED lighting;
• and High-energy absorption Schuyler fendering.

The Denise Foss has been designed to withstand the rigors of Arctic operations and is suited to work across the globe as Foss competes for opportunities in the oil and gas industry.

“The christening ceremony is our way of honoring our history,” said Parrott. “The boat sitting behind me represents our future.”

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ABOUT FOSS MARITIME

Founded in 1889, Seattle-based Foss Maritime offers a complete range of maritime services and project management to customers across the Pacific Rim, Europe, South America and around the globe. Foss has one of the largest fleets of tugs and barges on the American West Coast. The company has harbor services and transportation operations in all major U.S. West Coast ports, including the Columbia and Snake River system, Hawaii and Alaska. Foss operates two shipyards and offers worldwide marine transportation, emphasizing safety, environmental responsibility and high-quality service. See www.foss.com for more information.

Interstate earns EPA SmartWay certification for thirteenth year in a row

April 7, 2016

Interstate Distributor shines in EPA’S Smartway program

A member of the EPA’s SmartWay program since 2004, Interstate Distributor continues to stand out in its commitment to the environment

Interstate is committed to being an environmentally friendly transportation company.  In the past three years we have made investments to upgrade our line haul tractor fleet with 2010 and newer emissions clean air engines. Our trailer fleet is on a planned upgrade process, which includes technologies such as automated tire inflation system and aerodynamic side skirts installed on all new trailers and specific trailers in our existing fleet. Not to mention 100% of our refrigerated fleet is compliant with California Air Resource Board (CARB) requirements.

In addition to meeting state and federal emissions requirements, we continue to test and invest in green initiatives by equipping our entire fleet with low rolling resistant fuel efficient tires. We partner with Eco-Lube and use recycled engine oil to service our fleet. We have also tested and set engine parameters to optimize fuel economy and reduce engine idle time.

At Interstate, we strive to be the most efficient and green fleet in the industry and seek to continually reduce our company’s carbon footprint by conducting ongoing evaluations in fuel economy.

• Learn more about Interstate, Saltchuk’s Nationwide Trucking & Logistics business
• Read more about Interstate’s LNG fleet
• Named a Top 50 Green Fleet by Heavy Duty Trucking in 2014