384 September 2006

Twenty-five Year Old Alaskan Tug With Original Engines

The Ethan B assisting the Alaska Marine Lines barge Sitka Provider
into the slip at Skagway Alaska.

When the big cruise ships come into Skagway at the head of Southeast Alaska's Lynn Canal they are met by a good looking assist tug. The Ethan B (ex Andy Head) provides assist services in the notoriously windy little port.

Built in Oregon by Mid-Coast Marine in 1980 the 68 by 24-foot boat is still powered by its original pair of Cummins KTA38 M (2300 cubic inch) V-12 engines. Delivering about 2000 total horsepower through nozzle-equipped wheels the tug is small by big port standards, but under the skilled hand of Capt. Tim Roseberg it does a fine job. Capt. Roseberg reports that the engines now, have 14,450 hours since their last rebuild and are now due for a top-end rebuild. The current owners, Amak Towing of Ketchikan Alaska have had the vessel since purchasing it from the original owner Ed Head in the late 1980s. The last complete “in-frame” rebuild was in March of 1992 when the engines had 10,200 hours. Before that there was a top-end done around '87 at around 8,000 hours. This would give a total of around 33,450 hours on the original blocks.

The Ketchikan-registered tug Ethan B moves past the Rotterdam
registered cruise ship Statendam at Skagway Alaska.

A glance at the beautifully maintained tug shows that it is crewed and owned by people with real boat pride. It is the kind of dedication to a vessel that Tim Roseberg is noted for and it is that dedication that can keep a pair of good engines delivering for their owners for a quarter century and more with no sign of quitting.

For further information:

Amak Towing Co.
PO Box 7655
1429 Tongass Ave.
Ketchikan, Ak.
99901
Phone: (907) 225-8847
Operations manager: John Thompson
E-mail: johnt@amaktowing.com

Capt. Tim Roseberg
PO Box 131
Skagway, Ak.
99840

All photos by Alan Haig-Brown

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