The Port of Portland has put its new dredge tender Cowlitz into service supporting the cutter-suction dredge Oregon, which maintains the navigation channels of the Columbia River. The 69’x27’8″, 87-gross-ton pusher tug was built by Nichols Brothers Boat Builders in Freeland, Washington, and designed by Seattle-based Glosten, whose team used virtual-reality modeling to let the boat’s future operators shape the design before construction.

A central goal was a quieter vessel. Working with Glosten subsidiary Noise Control Engineering, the design team held noise to 65 dBA in the day room and 62 dBA in the pilothouse using specialized damping compounds, isolation-mounted machinery, and hospital-grade exhaust silencers. Built to Subchapter M standards, the Cowlitz is powered by twin Tier 3 Caterpillar C18 diesels and carries four Markey electric variable-frequency-drive winches.

The multipurpose tug carries a crew of three working around the clock, six days a week, and replaces the 1959-built W.L. Williams. It joins a pair of A-frame workboats in the Port of Portland’s dredging fleet.

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