Arctic Directory April 2015: Crowley christens new DP2 tugboat, Ocean Sun

As part of the company’s industry-leading new vessel build program, Crowley Maritime Corp. christened the latest of its four tugboats in the ocean class series, Ocean Sun, Oct.15 in Lake Charles. The ceremony served to formally welcome the fourth dynamic positioning 2, DP2, tugboat to the company’s expanded ocean towing fleet, which has been involved in most of the major offshore oil production installations in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico over the past 18 months.

Todd Busch, senior vice president and general manager of Crowley’s solutions group, opened the ceremony to approximately 80 guests. He was followed by a series of speakers including Tom Crowley, chairman and CEO; Craig Tornga, vice president, solutions; and Robert Socha, executive vice president, sales and marketing, Bollinger.

Following an introduction of the tug’s crew members by Cal Hayden, vice president, marine operations for Crowley, and a blessing of the vessel by Deacon Patrick Lapoint, director of the Stella Maris Seafarers’ Center at the Port of Lake Charles, Vessel Sponsor Coreen Busch, wife of Todd Busch, broke the ceremonial bottle of champagne across the hull of the boat.

The Ocean Sun, which features DP2 technology, is part of a feature-rich, four-vessel family of tugs ideally suited to work with Crowley’s new 455 series high-deck strength barges, which measure 400 feet long by 105 feet wide.

Crowley’s ocean class tugs are outfitted for long-range, high-capacity ocean towing, rig moves, platform and floating production, storage and offloading unit tows, emergency response and firefighting.