Tugboat INDEPENDENCE

Independence, is in build for Boston Towing and Transportation, a Reinauer Company. Upon delivery the offshore support vessel will be based in Gloucester, Massachusetts and under long term contract with Neptune LNG, an affiliate of Suez LNG North America. Independence will incorporate Robert Allan Ltd.'s latest hull design, for optimization of sea keeping, fuel efficiency and crew comfort. This tug will incorporate controllable pitch propellers with Rolls Royce CCP-255 Z Drives, and will be the first application of this type, for Rolls Royce in the United States. This allows the FiFi Class One fire pumps to be driven off the main engines, which saves a great deal of weight and cost by eliminating the fire pump engines found on all other FiFi Class One vessels. The CP drives are also expected to optimize bollard pull, fuel efficiency and vessel speed. The tug will be able to self-load up to three containers for cargo operations, and have radiantly heated decks, bow bulwark caps, and carbon fiber drive shafts.