North Star Port

DULUTHPORT.COM | 13 PHOTO / Sam Hankinson DULUTHPORT.COM | 13 A new Great Lakes tugboat named after the Land of 10,000 Lakes is now in operation, but it may not be seen on Lake Superior or in the Port of Duluth-Superior any time soon. In July, the Great Lakes Towing Company christened the new Damen-class tug Minnesota at its own yard in Cleveland, Ohio, and the tug is currently in service in that area. The Minnesota is the eighth Damen tug built for the com- pany. Construction of this new class began in 2014 when Great Lakes Towing Company subsidiary Great Lakes Ship- yard agreed to a licensing program with Netherlands-based Damen Shipyards to utilize the Damen Stan Tug 1907 ICE tugboat design. These vessels include improvements designed to enhance safe operations during the ice season in the Great Lakes. Great Lakes Towing Company funded its fleet renewal in part with support from the United States Environmental Pro- tection Agency's Diesel Emissions Reduction Grant Program, which helps retire two old tugs for every new tug constructed. Great Lakes Towing Company tugs have historically been named for different American states. As the company builds its new fleet of tugs, the intent has been to name the new tugs after its main operating areas within the Great Lakes, which means the name may need to be taken from an existing tug in the fleet. This can cause some geography gymnastics. • The first tug in the new Damen-class was named Cleve- land after the city where Great Lakes Towing is based and the new tugs are being built. • The old tug Wisconsin was renamed Georgia before it was restored to its original name of America. • The old lake tug Ohio was formally rededicated as a museum tug at Toledo, Ohio, in a joint christening with the new Damen-class Ohio in 2019. The tug Michigan was chris- tened at Cleveland, Ohio, as part of the company's 120th anni- versary celebration. • The tugs Wisconsin and Pennsylvania were christened virtually in December 2020. • In August 2023, tugs Illinois and Indiana were christened during the American Great Lakes Ports Association annual conference in Chicago. The new Minnesota tugboat takes its name from the old Minnesota tug built in Cleveland by the Great Lakes Towing Company in 1911. In 1960, the old Minnesota tug was repowered with a new diesel engine, and it did ply the Head of the Lakes, performing ship assistance and icebreaking ser- vices. Her adventures included responding to the disabled Canadian laker Assiniboine in 2013 and the grounding near Duluth's Bayfront Festival Park of the thousand-footer Paul R. Tregurtha in September 2014. During the shipping season, Great Lakes Towing Company sometimes performs relocation activities during which assets are moved around the Great Lakes. This is accomplished by larger tugs towing smaller tugs to different locations. The old Minnesota was rotated out of the Twin Ports to Milwaukee in 2015. She was replaced in Duluth-Superior by tugs with the highest icebreaking capabilities. The old Minnesota remained at Milwaukee for a few years until she was taken to Cleveland in another relocation. She was eventually renamed Tennessee and repowered with the engine from now-retired fleetmate Rhode Island. The Ten- nessee, née Minnesota, is currently located in Cleveland, although she has not performed any ship assistance services since 2021. As for the new Minnesota, she's not scheduled to operate near her namesake state, since the tugs Missouri, Kentucky and North Carolina are each deemed more icebreaking capa- ble and therefore stationed in Duluth-Superior. However, this does not mean that there won't ever be a shakeup of the green and red tugs in the Twin Ports, given the company's long his- tory of relocation operations. A Great Lakes Towing Company tugs have historically been named for different American states. ... This can cause some geography gymnastics.

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