Boatnerd Discussion Forum

Steamboater66 wrote: March 29, 2026, 9:40 am It is 1032h EST Sun. March.29/26
Ocean Tower continues heading south about 80 miles abreast of Manzanillo, Mexico. She is making 7 knots.
The wind is east and steady at 3 knots. The sea is calm with waves running 0.8 metres.

Any updates? Looked like not much movement last time I looked. TIA

Thanks for all your efforts Much appreciated

It is 1032h EST Sun. March.29/26
Ocean Tower continues heading south about 80 miles abreast of Manzanillo, Mexico. She is making 7 knots.
The wind is east and steady at 3 knots. The sea is calm with waves running 0.8 metres.

Thanks. Look forward to your reports

It is 00:01h EST Tuesday. March 24/26
Ocean Tower is retracing her track in a generally southward heading. Tonight she is about 35 km abreast of Tapia Primo, Mexico.
She is proceeding at just over 8 knots in almost ideal conditions of sea and weather, waves are running about 1metre, the breeze is blowing about 2 knots, and the temp. Is 18C under a clear sky.

Thanks for the update. Very interesting tow.

It is 00:26 Friday March 20/26 as I write…
Ocean Tower is south of Arroyo Grande, almost abreast of Santa Maria on a southerly heading towards San Diego. Waves are about 1m. She is making just over 7 kts.Winds are NE 6 kts gusting 8. San Diego arrival is posted as 1200h on March 22.

Sun. 15 Mar she's heading down the west coast with a destination of San Diego.

Steamboater66 wrote: March 12, 2026, 10:40 pm
In the ais area…MarineTraffic.org in its map page data box shows Ocean Tower left Seattle today (Mar. 12) and returned somewhere round 4-5 hrs later and is tied up there now.

I think you may have misread a date. The Ocean Tower left Seattle on March 11th, not the 12th. Per the AIS history at APRS.FI they left Elliott Bay at about 13:30 on 3/11/26 and arrived back in Elliott Bay at about 17:10 on 3/12/26. So they were away from Seattle for over 27 hours. (They spend additional time maneuvering in Elliott Bay, which I assume was for picking up and later dropping off the tow.)

It is 2322h EST Thurs. Mar.12/26 as I write…
Thanks guest Paula A for getting back on about your ais source! Like that.
Did a look at wind-weather all around Pacific coast area from Vancouver Island, Straits of Juan de Fuca, Seattle entry on windfinder.com (really easy to see what’s going on). Doesn’t appear there is anything outrageous with wind or seas.
In the ais area…MarineTraffic.org in its map page data box shows Ocean Tower left Seattle today (Mar. 12) and returned somewhere round 4-5 hrs later and is tied up there now.
On shipinfo.net their map has the track lines. Looks like Ocean Tower left Seattle, got outside, turned and returned to Seattle.
Since weather looked quiet on windfinder; could they have had tech issues with the tug maybe?

At 8:45 AM CDT Marine traffic shows OT headed south toward Seattle.

Guest PaulA wrote: March 11, 2026, 9:56 pm Update, I see she is headed to San Diego per ais.

As of 10 pm local time March 11 the vessel's track shows that it has turned around in the recommended vessel lanes in the eastern end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and is now heading east. Not sure why it turned around. I have read that the waters around Vancouver Island can have some really strong currents, so maybe that's a possibility. Just speculating. Another possibility is wind. It looks like their AIS reported wind quickly went from 8 knots to 35 knots of headwind.

It is 00:41 Thursday, Mar. 12/26
I just finished trying to get an ais map/ position for Ocean Tower.
Guest Paula A…you wrote that OT is on an ais map and headed to San Diego.
Could you please come back and give the ais map site you used.
I’d like to follow more of Ocean Towers trips.
Thanks

Update, I see she is headed to San Diego per ais.

Thank you for your coverage! I'm wondering if the Tower is holding station to bring the completed Crain to the home base.

Talk at ya the next tow!

It is 1145 EST Wed Mar.11/26
I have been checking up on the position of Ocean Tower over the ast week or so because I too, am wondering what will be her next job.
I last checked ais on March 9. She is still moored in Seattle. Did you know that the crane tow put 10 - 11000 miles on her? Amazing, eh?
It is a long way back to Tampa, Fla. her home port.if that’s what they choose to do.
To all the boat nerds who posted thank you messages for my reporting on the crane tow on here….no problem. Very considerate of you!

Ditto the thanks for great reporting!! I never dreamed that anything like this amazing delivery journey could talk place! I wish there could have been a daily live stream segmentl from the Ocean Tower to help us experience what it was like to be on that tug in different weather and climate conditions.
But now that the delivery is nearly complete, the question comes to my mind, "What will happen to the Ocean Tower?" Will it proceed to retrace its steps, so to speak? If so, will the same crew return the tug to its home port? Or will a different crew meet up with the craft and sail it home? Will the trip back take as long since isn't carefully towing the top heavy big crane? How will the onset of spring in the northern hemisphere impact the return trip?Just curious...
Thank you!

Guest wrote: March 3, 2026, 8:36 am Steamboater 66 /I have followed your reporting from Day 1. Very nice job you did along the way. Very much appreciated.
Thanks Mr Link for the follow up

I agree 100%. Nice job!!

Steamboater 66 /I have followed your reporting from Day 1. Very nice job you did along the way. Very much appreciated.
Thanks Mr Link for the follow up