Foss Shipyard in early March began a two-month overhaul of the tug Hoku Ke’a, owned by its Honolulu sister company, adding new propellers, nozzles and rudders to boost bollard pulling power by up to 50 percent.

Hawaiian Tug and Barge Young Brothers (HTB YB) Operations Vice President Mark Houghton said the upgrade will give the 108-foot, 4,000-horsepower Hoku Ke’a enough muscle to maintain transit times while towing bigger barges coming into the company’s inter-island cargo fleet. 

“What we hope to get is bollard pull equivalent to a tug in the 5,000-horsepower category,” Houghton said. “The upgrade will give us the reserve bollard pull we need to maneuver larger barges through the weather and sea states we have in the winter months, while at the same time consuming less fuel than a 5,000 horsepower-equivalent vessel.” 

Shipyard Project Manager Dave Palmer said the tug is receiving Nautican high-performance fixed nozzles, skewed propellers and triple-vaned “shutter” rudders. The yard performed a similar upgrade two years ago on the HTB YB tug Moana Holo, increasing its bollard pull 57 percent. 

Houghton said the Moana Holo, at 3,000-horsepower, displayed its strength in early February, pulling a bulk carrier free from of a reef at Barbers Point after a 7,200-horsepower tug owned by another company failed to perform. 

“That speaks volumes about the effectiveness of the Nautican conversion,” he noted, while also giving credit to the “skilled operators and mariners” on the Moana Holo and two other tugs that helped in the effort. 

The Hoku Ke’a, tied up at Foss Shipyard in early March, is ready for its Nautican refit

Houghton said HTB YB recently char­tered a 330-by-86-foot barge, the Aleutian Trader, which is substantially larger than the company’s other barges. The company is considering acquisition of more big barges, and a Nautican upgrade of the Hoku Ke’a’s sister tug, the Hoku Loa also is under consideration.

While at Foss Shipyard, the Hoku Ke’a will receive a new stern tow pin and roller assembly, standard drydock­ing work such as painting, sea-valve maintenance and inspection, and some fendering work.