The tug HARBOR COMMANDER is a San Diego fixture. It was the first tug in the PMG fleet and was designed and built by one of the original founders Doug Lotoski. To this day it is our Captains first choice for a powerful and maneuverable Harbor Tug in a compact package.
The 36’ ft tug was built in San Diego, CA in 1992 with major re-builds in 2005 and most recently in 2021. The vessel is owned by Pacific Maritime Group, Inc, dba Pacific Tugboat Service based in San Diego and Long Beach, California. Pacific Maritime Group is a well-known transportation, marine services, dredging and construction company.
The HARBOR COMMANDER was re-powered in 2005 during a major refit. A pair of Tier 2, MTU S60 engines were installed. Our 2021 re-power installed two new CARB certified, Mitsubishi S6A3-Y3MPTK-4 Tier 3 engines. These keel-cooled engines are rated for 500 hp @ 1800 rpm. Twin Disc 516 gearboxes turning (2) 4 blade 39”x 46” fixed pitch propellers completed the package. Pacific Maritime Group selected the Mitsubishi engines because they provided similar engine horsepower and rpm, allowing us to utilize existing shafts and propellers.
Cascade Engine Center, headquartered in Seattle, Washington, provided the engines. San Diego dealer Dee Finley Diesel Repair was the local rep to supply the Mitsubishi engines and provide technical assistance to PTS during the repower.
PMG Port Engineers Peter Walding and Mario Piras with Port Captain Tom Ebner led our inhouse construction team simultaneously performing extensive upgrades and maintenance to the vessel during the re-power.
Major work entailed wider exhaust stacks and piping, new engine beds, new and larger Fernstrum keel coolers, a new steering pump system, new expansion tanks, re-pitching propellors, upgrades to the navigation electronic, and many more upgrades.
The auxiliary engines also saw improvement with larger keel coolers and improvements to the air system. Further improvements included an upgrade to the navigation electronics suite, and to paint entire vessel.
PMG will also add to their Mitsubishi fleet later this year by installing a new S16R-Y3MPTAW, 1675hp engine for the BLARNEY and another pair of S12R-Y3, 1100hp engines in the tugboat BASS. The simple, mechanically controlled, Tier 3 Mitsubishi provides less complex maintenance as computers are not required and the big Mitsubishi displacement provides PTS vessels with reliable power.
Pacific Maritime Group is committed to providing powerful, emission friendly tugs to work the waters of San Diego Bay and southern California.
For more information about Pacific Tugboat Service please check out our web site at www.pacificmaritimegroup.com
email info@pacificmaritimegroup.com