Tugboat Information

FALCON

Built in 1970, by Bludworth Shipyard of Corpus Christi, Texas (hull #71) as the Mister Richard for Jackson Marine Corporation of Houston, Texas.

Jackson Marine was owned by the Halliburton Corporation, which acquired Jackson Marine in 1968. They owned a total of ninety boats mostly offshore tugs, a few supply boats and some chemical transport and some well stimulation boats.

On October 8th, 1985 Zapata Marine Service, Gulf fleet and Jackson Marine all merged to form Zapata Gulf Marine Service.

Zapata Marine was owned by Zapata the parent company which also owned drilling rigs and fishing boats. There was seventy six offshore supply and anchor handling tug supply boats in the Zapata Marine Service fleet at the time of the merger.

Gulffleet was owned by Houston Natural gas, who also owned Quality Shipyards in Houma, Louisiana. Quality Shipyards was included in the merger deal. At the time Gulf fleet owned one hundred fifty nine boats, including crew boats, supply, anchor handling tug supply, and conventional offshore tugs.

When the three merged the company became the largest shipping company in the world with a total of four hundred fifteen boats. Tidewater at that time had about two hundred seventy five boats.

In the fall of 1986, Seahorse was merged into Zapata Gulf Marine adding an additional ninety vessels to the fleet. Seahorse was founded by the Arthur Levey family as Arthur Levey Boat Company after WWII.
Later it was purchased by Petrolane Natural Gas and renamed Seahorse Marine. In 1985, Petrolane was bought out by Texas Eastern a larger natural gas company. Then in the fall of 1986, Texas Eastern traded the company to Zapata for an exchange of stock. It happened overnight with no warning whatsoever.

On January 15th of 1992 Zapata Gulf merged with Tidewater Marine of New Orleans, Louisiana.

The tug was then acquired by Hale Container Transport of Baltimore, Maryland where she was renamed as the Ashley Hale.

When Hale Transport lines was dissolved, the tug was acquired by Allied Transportation of Norfolk, Virginia where she was renamed as the Falcon.

She is a twin screw tug powered by twin 12-251C Alco main engines with turbos for a rated at 4,400 horsepower.

In 2012, Allied Transportation was acquired the Kirby Corporation of Channelview, Texas where the tug retained her name.
(Sam Zapadinsky, Captain Eric Takakjian)

Vessel Name: FALCON
USCG Doc. No.: 525828
Vessel Service: TOWING VESSEL
IMO Number: 7042863
Trade Indicator: Coastwise Unrestricted, Registry
Call Sign: WBE7134
Hull Material: STEEL
Hull Number: 71
Ship Builder: BLUDWORTH SHIPYARD
Year Built: 1970
Length: 112.7
Hailing Port: CHARLESTON, SC

Hull Depth: 18.5
Hull Breadth: 33
Gross Tonnage: 196
Net Tonnage: 133
Owner:
KIRBY OFFSHORE MARINE OPERATING LLC
55 WAUGH DRIVE STE 1000
HOUSTON, TX 77007
Previous Vessel Names:
Mister Richard, Ashley Hale
Previous Vessel Owners:
Jackson Marine Corp, Zapata Gulf, Tidewater Marine, Hale Container Transport, Allied Transportation, O A LLC

Pictured as: the Mister Richard (Jackson Marine) Photo Courtesy of : Harold E. Tartell

Pictured as: the Ashley Hale (Hale Container Transport) Photo Courtesy of : Harold E. Tartell

Photo by: Don Sutherland

Photo by: Unknown

Photo by: Don Sutherland

Pictured as: the Mister Richard (Jackson Marine Corp.) Photo Courtesy of: Harold E. Tartell

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