In perfect unison, two shipboard cranes slowly lifted a 410-ton Navy tugboat from the water onto the Palembang Tuesday at the Port of Tacoma.
An intricate web of lashing will secure the 90-foot tug to a specially-built metal cradle for the 4,800-mile journey to a U.S. military base in Japan.
The tug was built in Tacoma by J. M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corporation. It is the fifth in a series of six tugboats the company is building for the U.S. Navy.
The tug is named Puyallup in honor of the Northwest-based Puyallup Tribe of Indians. Its sister tugs, including the Seminole and Menominee, also are named for Native American tribes.
"The Navy has a long history of naming tugboats after Native American tribes," said Jonathan Platt, vice president for J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corporation. Among the best known are the ocean-going 205-foot fleet tugs of the Navajo class used in World War II.
"Our company has 88 years of experience in building a variety of vessels, and during that time we have employed many tribal members as part of our workforce," Platt said. "On this project, Native Americans from 11 tribes accounted for 15 percent of our workforce."
In total, about 80 people built the Puyallup over 11 months.
Like its sister boats, the 3,600-horsepower tractor tug is equipped with propellers that can swivel in any direction to maneuver ships in tight quarters. The tug will provide harbor assist service for Navy ships at Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan.
About J. M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corporation
Family-owned and operated since its start in 1924, the J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corporation, now in its third generation of family management, specializes in the design and construction of vessels up to 250 feet long. Over the years, the company has delivered more than 300 vessels, including tuna seiners, harbor tugs for commercial and military customers, oceangoing tugs, factory trawlers, ferries, yachts, U.S. Coast Guard patrol boats and a research sailing vessel. The company is headquartered on the Thea Foss Waterway in Tacoma, Wash.
About the Port of Tacoma
The Port of Tacoma is an economic engine for South Puget Sound, with more than 43,000 family-wage jobs in Pierce County and 113,000 jobs across Washington state connected to Port activities. A major gateway to Asia and Alaska, the Port of Tacoma is among the largest container ports in North America. The Port is also a major center for bulk, breakbulk and project/heavy-lift cargoes, as well as automobiles and trucks.