![]() ![]() The 109 ships consist of 70 liners that carry processed goods 22 tankers and 16 bulk carriers, both of which carry bulk commodities and 1 integrated tug/barge. Of these, 383 are active ships 109 of which participated in the food aid preference trade in cargo preference year 1987-88. oceangoing merchant marine fleet consisted of 661 active and inactive vessels. Tug Barge OperationsĪccording to MARAD, as of October 1, 1989, the U.S. Interlake invested $23 million in this vessel to meet increased demand for stone and other cargos on the Great Lakes. The integrated tug/barge PATHFINDER, owned by the Interlake Steamship Company of Cleveland, is longer than all but one of Cleveland's skyscrapers are tall. The PRESQUE ISLE was the second thousand foot vessel on the Great Lakes (the Erie-built STEWART CORT which came out in 1972 was the first). The 1,000-foot-long tug/barge PRESQUE ISLE has been serving the Great Lakes iron ore, coal and stone trades since 1973 and routinely carries more than 2.6 million tons of cargo each year. Here, barges are large units with carrying capacities that rival our largest self-propelled units. However, on the Great Lakes and the US coasts and non-contiguous trades, the word barge has a much different meaning. That image is correct for the inland rivers and they offset the smallish carrying capacity of individual barges by combining 15-20 units into one tow. ![]() The word barge evokes the image of a small, shallow draft unit with very limited carrying capacity that requires extensive shoreside equipment to be unloaded. No particular changes in the size or shape of the tug are required except for a higher pilot house, needed for improved visibility. Directional stability and control underway is far superior to that of a towed barge. In the most efficient systems, the tug is attached by trunion mountings protruding from the bow into sockets fitted along the inside of the barges recesses. The barge is built in the molded form of a normal ships hull. The stern is notched to accept a special tug which can be rigidly connected to the barge, forming a single vessel. Integrated tug/barge units are used widely in the US Gulf and east coast offshore trade. Integrated Tug Barge (ITB) / Tug/Barge Unit (TBU)
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