Tommy and Commander Assisting the Jean Anne to 10th Ave.
Since the mid-1980s, Pacific Maritime Group (PMG) has been a trusted resource for professional dredging and marine towing services up and down the Pacific Coast. When our industry allies ask for assistance, our impressive team of professionals has the machinery manpower, and eagerness to lend a hand. We recently participated in a ship assist job that required our specialized tugs and skilled crews to get into some tight quarters and shallow water that the larger tugs are unable to access.
In our home port of San Diego, good friends and colleagues at Crowley use powerful Z-Drive and Cycloidal driven tugs to assist ships. The mighty 500 HP Ulstein Azimuthing tug Tioga and 4,800HP Voith-Schneider Cycloidal tug handle a high volume of ship assist work for some of the largest and most valuable cargo in the region. Because some of San Diego’s shipyards are busy with multiple ships and close quarters, and in some cases shallow water, Crowley includes PMG tugs to ensure complete control at all times during ship movements. When Crowley called on PMG to assist the M/V Jean Anne to the 10th Avenue Marine Terminal, we were ready, willing, and able to step up.
The Jean Anne
The Jean Anne is a 579-foot, 12,424-ton ship that launched in 2005 under the billing as “the first pure car and truck carrier of its kind to be built in the United States.” Designed and constructed by VT Halter in Pascagoula, MS, the Jean Anne is a fully-enclosed roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) ship or pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) with a capacity to handle up to 2,500 cars. One of the largest vessels to be built and launched by VT Halter Marine, the Jean Anne was the first RoRo or PCTC to serve Hawaii from the mainland. The massive vessel's flexible design is ideal for carrying wheeled-on cargo or static cargo that is loaded aboard using heavy-duty industrial trailers and forklifts.
With ten cargo-carrying decks, the Jean Anne can reach service speeds of up to 20 knots. The cargo ship was constructed after automotive customers recognized the PCTC design to be efficient and able to decrease damage incidents during shipping. The Jean Anne is a transformative ocean transportation vessel that delivers cargo damage-free without exposure to tight container doorways or damaging ocean salt spray.
Bring On Tommy and the Harbor Commander
Needing help navigating some tight spots in the 10th Avenue Marine Terminal, Crowley enlisted the tugboat service of PMG’s strongest and most reliable compact tugs.
Named after long-time PMG Port Captain Tom Ebner, the Tommy joined forces with the Harbor Commander to provide the way in areas Crowley’s fleet could not venture. The formidable pair, with a combined horsepower of just 1,150 HP each, became the unsung heroes of the day. Taking advantage of some judicious application by the San Diego Harbor Pilot and the skilled captains at PMG, the job was completed successfully, and the shipping schedules remained intact.
Contact Pacific Maritime Today
Pacific Maritime Group is the industry leader in mechanical dredging specialty service capabilities from Alaska to Mexico. PMG performs a wide range of industrial maritime services, from dredging and marine construction to tugboat towing and beach nourishment.
Headquartered in San Diego, PMG also has a Long Beach location and a growing presence as far north as Santa Barbara and the San Francisco Bay. For complete information on our dredging and towing services up down the Pacific Coast, contact Pacific Maritime Group today.