Caterpillar’s North American milestone

The first vessel in North America to feature a complete Cat Marine propulsion system with both Cat power and Cat azimuth drives has been christened.

The DR HANK KAPLAN tug is owned by Seattle-based Harley Marine Services, with a length of 80’, a beam of 36’ and a depth of 13’7”.

“Caterpillar is proud to power a vast number of vessels in the Harley Marine fleet,” said Tom Frake, vice president of Caterpillar’s Global Power Solutions Division.

“With the christening of DR HANK KAPLAN, Harley Marine will be the first North American customer to feature our fully integrated propulsion system as well as our legendary power products.”

DR HANK KAPLAN is equipped with two 3516C marine propulsion engines, each delivering 2675 hp (1995 kW) to a pair of MTA 524-T azimuth thrusters specifically designed for high performance applications.

The new Cat MTA 524-T azimuth thruster is the latest iteration of Caterpillar Propulsion’s proven thruster line, specifically optimised for the unique operation profile of a tug. Based on the standard MTA design, this updated version includes features to maximize bollard pull, simplify installation and maintenance, and increase manoeuvrability.

Designed by Robert Allen Limited in Vancouver, the tug was built at Diversified Marine in Portland, Oregon and is a sister class vessel to the recently built MICHELLE SLOAN and LELA FRANCO.

The vessel was named after the Chief of Medical Oncology at Swedish Cancer Institute, Dr Hank Kaplan, as a tribute to his tireless dedication to cancer treatment and research.