Crowley Adds 95-Tonne-Pull Tug Venture to San Pedro Bay Operations

Crowley has taken delivery of Venture, an 82-foot tug capable of 95 tonnes of bollard pull, and deployed it on ship-assist and escort work at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach — the busiest container port complex in the United States.

The vessel is US-built and Jones Act compliant. Diversified Marine constructed it at its shipyard on the Columbia River, purpose-built to work large vessels inside the San Pedro Bay port complex.

Power comes from two Caterpillar 3516 engines that meet US Environmental Protection Agency Tier IV emissions requirements. Together they generate more than 6,000 horsepower. Paired with azimuth stern-drive thrusters, that output translates into the 95-tonne bollard pull — the figure that matters when a tug is braking or steering a fully laden containership in a constrained harbour.

Why does one tug matter at LA-Long Beach?

Escort and ship-assist tugs keep the gateway moving. They handle the continuous arrival, docking and departure cycles of cargo vessels calling at the two ports, and capacity at the berth end is as real a constraint as berth space or crane availability.

Crowley clearly sees demand for bigger-horsepower harbour work. "Venture strengthens our ship assist and escort capabilities in Los Angeles and Long Beach, providing the capacity and performance to help advance trade through this key corridor," said John Ara, Vice President of Marine Services at Crowley.

"Its advanced manoeuvrability and powerful engines allow us to meet the demands of some of the largest vessels calling on the West Coast, while supporting our commitment to safe, efficient harbour operations," Ara added.

Where does Venture fit in the fleet?

Venture joins four other Tier IV-compliant tugs in Crowley's West Coast fleet: Athena, Apollo, Hercules and Artemis. That makes five modern, emissions-compliant harbour tugs dedicated to the San Pedro Bay complex and the wider West Coast trade.

The Tier IV point is not cosmetic. Emissions rules at US ports keep tightening, and harbour craft are squarely in regulators' sights. An operator running an entirely Tier IV-compliant assist fleet at the largest US container gateway is positioning for that trajectory, not just for today's vessel sizes.

What does it mean for carriers and shippers?

For carriers, deeper tug capacity at LA-Long Beach removes a friction point as vessel sizes on trans-Pacific services continue to stress harbour infrastructure. The bigger the ship, the more bollard pull needed to dock and undock it safely.

For shippers and forwarders, the effect is indirect but concrete: smoother vessel turnarounds at the complex that handles the largest share of US container imports protect schedule reliability on trans-Pacific lanes.

For Crowley, the move consolidates its position in harbour services at the gateway while hedging against regulatory tightening on older, higher-emitting tug tonnage.

Venture is chartered, not owned — a capital-light way for Crowley to add capability without a full newbuild commitment on its own balance sheet.

Expect further Tier IV tonnage additions at major US gateways as emissions enforcement tightens and vessel sizes keep growing.