An Arctic-bound Foss vessel under construction. The hull is extra stout to withstand rough seas and ice.
Foss Maritime, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, has begun building a fleet of three arctic-class tugboats in its Rainier shipyard. It will use the tugs to serve the oil and gas mining industries in Alaska.
Costing $10 million each, the tugs will tow building modules from Korea to remote ocean oil fields in the arctic. The first, the Michele Marie, is supposed to be ready by spring.