Hercules – El Bronco Grande – Craig Eric Reinauer – Albert
1979-Present
Articulated Tugboat, INTERCON Coupler; Paired with Barge Margaret
Specs
Build Information
Year Built: 1979
Builder: American Gulf Shipyard, Harvey, LA
Hull #142
Registry: US 609156
IMO #7517686
Laid Down: 1979
Launch Date: 1979
Commissioned: 1981
Paired Barges:
Construction
Albert was constructed in 1979 by American Gulf Shipbuilding of Harvey, Louisiana, as the conventional tugboat Hercules. She was not fully completed in 1979, and laid idle at the shipyard until purchased by Tidewater Marine, who had her completed in 1981. She was extensively reconstructed in 2007-2008 for service pushing articulated barges.
Modifications
- Engine and hull refit, Bollinger Shipyards, Morgan City, Louisiana, 2007.
- Upper pilothouse added, Bollinger Shipyards, Morgan City, Louisiana, 2007.
- Repowered, SENESCO Marine, North Kingstown, Rhode Island, 2008.
- INTERCON ATB Coupler installed, SENESCO Marine, North Kingstown, Rhode Island, 2008.
General Stats
Length Overall [Combined Tug & Barge]: —
Length Overall [Tug]: 114’05”
Breadth: 35’00”
Depth: 18’08”
Vessel Type: Articulated Tugboat
Propellers: 2
Rudders: 2
Engineering Equipment
Original
Engine
Engine Type: Diesel Engine
Engine Manufacturer: Burmeister & Wain, Copenhagen, Denmark
Engine Model: 14V23LU
Number of Engines: 2
Rated HP: 4080 BHP
Repower – 2008
Engine Type: Diesel Engine
Engine Manufacturer: General Motors Electro Motive Division, Chicago, IL
Engine Model: 12-645-E7C
Number of Engines: 2
Rated HP: 4000 BHP
History
Lineage
Hercules – 1979-1981
Owner: American Gulf Shipyard, Harvey, LA
Operator: —
Flag: United States
Home Port: —
El Bronco Grande – 1981-2006
Owner: Tidewater Marine Inc., New Orleans, LA
Operator: Tidewater Marine
Flag: United States
Home Port: New Orleans, LA
Craig Eric Reinauer – 2006-2018
Owner: Reinauer Transportation, Staten Island, NY
Operator: Reinauer Transportation
Flag: United States
Home Port: New York, NY
Albert – 2018-Present
Owner: U.S. Oil Inc., Appleton, WI
Operator: Andrie, Inc., Muskegon, MI
Flag: United States
Home Port: Green Bay, WI
Her Story
Albert was constructed in 1979 by American Gulf Shipbuilding of Harvey, Louisiana, as the conventional tugboat Hercules. She was not fully completed in 1979, and laid idle at the shipyard until purchased by Tidewater Marine, who had her completed in 1981. Tidewater renamed her El Bronco Grande.
El Bronco Grande operated in the Gulf of Mexico, supporting the offshore oil industry. She was laid up at Bollinger Shipyards in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1999. She was purchased by Reinauer Transportation in 2006, and shifted to the Bollinger shipyard in Morgan City, Louisiana, where she underwent a major refit. While in the shipyard, her exterior fittings were replaced, hull and deck equipment reconditioned, and a new upper pilothouse constructed. She was renamed Craig Eric Reinauer.
After the completion of her refit at Bollinger, she was taken to SENESCO Marine in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, where she was repowered with new GM EMD Diesel engines and an INTERCON ATB coupler system installed. She entered service later in the 2008 season, operating with ATB’s in the Reinauer fleet.
In 2018, the Craig Eric Reinauer and her fleetmate barge RTC 101 were purchased by U.S. Oil of Appleton, Wisconsin, and brought onto the Great Lakes. Craig Eric Reinauer was renamed Albert, and her barge was renamed Margaret. The pair are operated by Andrie, Inc., transporting petroleum products between Green Bay, Wisconsin, and several other Great Lakes ports.
Compiled By Brendan Falkowski
Updated on February 3, 2021
Gallery
Albert / Margaret at Detroit, Michigan, May 24, 2019. Photo by Isaac Pennock Albert / Margaret at Green Bay, Wisconsin, August 31, 2019. Photo by Isaac Pennock
Sources
Kauffman, John. “Albert”. Tugboat Information. N.d. Accessed 3 February 2021. <http://tugboatinformation.com/tug.cfm?id=10305>
Pennock, Isaac. “Albert”. Great Lakes Tugs & Workboats. N.d. Accessed 3 February 2021. <https://gltugs.wordpress.com/albert/>
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