It was just another afternoon in the busy Port
of Baltimore. In a tightly choreographed ballet,
the tug had assisted the ship as it backed out of a
narrow slip at Dundalk Marine Terminal and turned
completely around. Thousands of tons of steel,
millions of dollars in cargo balanced on a single
line tethered to the boat that Paul Swensen, Vice
President of Moran Towing Baltimore, called, “The
most sophisticated and powerful tug in the Port.”
The
Mark Moran
is one of the most advanced
tugs working in any harbor. Built for New Canaan,
Conn.-based Moran Towing Corporation at ship-
builder Washburn & Doughty in Boothbay, Maine,
the
Mark Moran
is the latest addition to the company
fleet. The boat packs 5,100 horsepower into its
86-
foot x 36-foot hull.
While the power and maneuverability of the
Mark
Moran
is impressive, Swensen is equally proud of
the boat’s habitability.
“
It is a very crew-friendly vessel,” said Swensen,
who noted that an additional tractor tug identical to
the
Mark Moran
is being sea-trialed in November and
will be delivered shortly thereafter. “Safety and crew
comfort were priorities in the tug’s design.There are
private staterooms, a well-appointed galley and it is
amazingly quiet and free of vibration.”
In the old days, a tug was a noisy place to work.
Huge engines packed into small spaces mean it is
[
26
]
The Port of Baltimore
■
September/October 2012
KATHY BERGREN SMITH