Oil Patch Bits: New Young Brothers Kāpena class tug christened

Petroleum News

Young Brothers, an independent subsidiary of Foss Maritime, said July 2 that its new tug the Kāpena Jack Young has been christened in Louisiana. The Kāpena Jack Young is named after Captain Jack Young, one of three brothers who founded Young Brothers in 1900. The christening of the Kāpena Jack Young was held at Port Fourchon with representatives of Young Brothers, Foss Maritime, Conrad and Damen in attendance, as well as Sharon Young, Jack Young’s granddaughter, who sponsored the vessel.

The first of four new ocean going tugs that will soon begin neighbor island service, the Kāpena Jack Young, was designed by Damen USA and built by Louisiana-based Conrad Shipyard. Kāpena means captain in the Hawaiian language, and the name for the class of ships celebrates the skill and innovation of Young Brothers’ Hawaiian navigators and will be home-ported in Kaunakakai, Moloka‘i. The new class of tugs are designed to match Young Brothers’ fleet of modern high capacity barges, and will improve the company’s ability to provide just-in-time cargo service to neighbor island communities, while enhancing service through lower maintenance down time, better tow speeds, greater operating efficiencies, and lower emissions.

“The four new Kāpena class tugs, represent our future while honoring our past. Once in service, the average age of our fleet will be reduced from an average age of 44 years to 12 years young,” said Joe Boivin, president of Young Brothers. “The new tugs reinforce our commitment to safety, environmental stewardship and customer service.”