July 2012 - Foss

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Vice President for Technical Services Mike Magill gives Connor Hansen, 8, a bit of coaching on how to christen his namesake vessel, the Connor Foss at Foss RainierShipyard. Connor is the great-great-great grandson of company founders Thea and Andrew Foss. In the background of the photo is Chaplain Kent Williams.Foss Offers Expert Vessel Maintenance, Repair Services,New Construction at Shipyards in Seattle and on ColumbiaJereme RuhlProviding a safe workingenvironment for employees andcustomers, and performing qualitywork for a fair price, are the keys tosuccess for Foss Shipyards, accordingto the company vice president incharge of the operations.“Foss has a proven track record,and that record provides the basis forour optimism that our business willcontinue to grow, said Mike Magill,vice president for technical services.Foss shipyards operates twofacilities, one on the Lake WashingtonShip Canal in Seattle, which focuseson vessel repairs and maintenance,and another on the Columbia River inRainier, Ore., which concentrates onnew construction.The Seattle yard includes three drydocks,the largest capable of handlingships up to 2,000 tons, plus cranes,lifts and other equipment requiredfor a full range of vessel services. Thesteam-powered Foss 300 floatingderrick, with a capacity of 75 tons, alsois available to shipyard customers, inaddition to performing work throughoutthe Puget Sound region.Experienced craftsmen in theSeattle yard have expertise in allrequired skills, including machining,engine mechanics, piping, carpentry,steel work, electrical work and rigging.Customers also have access to theFoss staff of marine engineers andnaval architects, who also oversee workon Foss’ own vessels both in Seattleand at the Rainier yard.Seattle Shipyard customers, inaddition to its internal customer(Foss), include owners of tugs, barges,large fishing vessels and yachts,research vessels, ferry operators andall manner of other floating craft.The Foss Rainier Shipyard,formerly a repair and maintenancefacility, turned out its first new tug in2004. That was the first of 10 Dolphin-Class tugs built for Foss, AMNAVand Hawaiian Tug & Barge. The newbuildsincluded the Carolyn Dorothy,the world’s first hybrid powered harbortug. Another Dolphin, the CampbellFoss, subsequently was retrofitted withhybrid power.Since the last Dolphin tug was6 • Foss Tow Bitts • ALWAYS READY • July, 2012
A welder is at work at Foss Shipyard in Seattle. Experienced craftsmen at the yard have expertise in all required skills in vessel maintenance and repair.finished in 2009, the Rainier yardcompleted a line handling boat, theLucy Foss, to work with Chevrontankers in Southern California, anda crew boat, the Ava Foss, for theChevron operation. A station boat forthe San Francisco Bar Pilots, the yard’sfirst commercial project, was finishedin 2009.In June 2011 Foss Rainier delivereda shallow draft, triple-screw tug, theCapt. Frank Moody, to Delta Western,Inc. The vessel was designed for thedual mission of pushing barges upshallow Alaska river systems, and forconventional ocean towing.The yard recently finishedconstruction of the Connor Foss, whichwill transport ship pilots to and from astation in Astoria, Ore., and iscurrently working on an all-aluminum20-car ferry for the Washington StateDepartment of Transportation.Magill said the yards have not beenimmune to the negative economicclimate that has plagued the country,but they plan to grow by capturingmarket share.“We have reorganized to positionourselves to take advantage of themarket by focusing our sales staff solelyon customer service,” he said.“We believe this will provide greatervisibility of our services and facilitiesTHREE NEW OCEAN TUGS TO BE BUILTAT FOSS RAINIER SHIPYARD IN OREGONand will bring us additionalopportunities.”The yards, he said, are exploring“all opportunities,” not just projectswell suited for current facilities.“We wouldn’t pass up an opportunitywithout evaluating partnerships,facility expansion and all availableresources, human and otherwise.”An example of that approach, hesaid, includes construction of the ferry,which is starting at Rainier but willconclude in Eastern Washington withassistance of Colville tribal memberswhose reservation it will serve.Foss also is adding 10,000 squarefeet to its existing footprint at theRainier yard.Foss Maritime recentlyannounced plans to build three newocean-going tugs, with constructioncommencing in the first quarter of2013 at Foss Rainier Shipyard on theColumbia River in Oregon.Vice President for TechnicalServices Mike Magill, who overseesFoss Shipyards and the company’sengineering department, said theboats would be 130 feet in lengthand would be designed to reach100 metric tons of bollard pull.“It’s time to start replacing ourocean fleet for age reasons, andthere also are some businessopportunities that these boats will putus in the running for,” Magill said.The Glosten Associates will beFoss’ naval architecture partner on theproject. Design work is expected to becompleted by the end of this year.Machinery will include CaterpillarC280-8 main engines, compliantwith Tier II environmental standardsand equipped with Reintjes reductiongears. Markey Machinery willsupply the direct diesel drive towwinch, which will feature a side-by-sidedrum design.In addition to the low-emissionsengines, the tugs will have a numberof “green” features including: Noballast tanks, so no transportation ofinvasive species; holding tanks forblack and gray water to permitoperations in no-discharge zones;biodegradable oil in all hydraulic oilsystems; and LED lighting.July, 2012 • ALWAYS SAFE • Foss Tow Bitts • 7
Page 8 and 9: The Tug Manuokekai and two of Young
Page 10 and 11: NORTH KOREAN ADVENTUREFour Tractor
Page 12: 660 W. Ewing St.Seattle, WA 98119PR

July 2012 - Foss

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