Home Search Links About Us Updates Login
ELLEN McALLISTER
Photo by: Birk Thomas

Built in 1967, by Marinette Marine of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin (hull #YTB-793) as the YTB-793 (Piqua) for the United States Navy.

Her keel was laid down on September 29th, 1966. The tug was launched on April 25th, 1967. And was delivered to the United States Navy on July 10th, 1967. The tug placed in service at the 1st Naval District at Boston, Massachusetts. She was later reassigned to Holy Loch, Scotland in 1964. Where she served until 1970.

However, she was placed out of service, and struck from the Naval Register on March 13th, 2001. The tug was transferred to the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for sale or reuse.

In 2001, she was acquired by the McAllister Towing and Transportation Company of New York, New York. Where she was renamed as the Ellen McAllister.

In 2007, she was rebuilt and reconfigured. Originally powered by a single, Fairbanks Morse, diesel engine, rated at 2,000 horsepower. The tug was repowered with two, Caterpillar 3516B diesel engines. Driving two Schottel SRP 1012 z-drives for a rated 4,000 horsepower.

The Ellen McAllister was the tenth conversion of a United States Naval tug by McAllister Towing. From a single screw configuration, to a z-drive configuration. The eighth conversion to feature twin z-drives. Also, she was the nineteeth tractor tug to enter service for the McAllister Towing and Transportation Company.

She was outfitted with new fire fighting equipment that consisted of a Goulds pump. Rated at 2,000 Gallons Per Minute. Feeding two fire monitors with a 1,500 Gallon Per Minute foam capacity. Driven by a single 6-71 diesel engine.

The tug's capacities are 20,000 gallons of fuel oil, 710 gallons of lube oil, and 1,290 gallons of potable water.

The towing gear includes a JonRie InterTech 200 winch, mounted on her bow. Outfitted with 450(ft) of 7(in) Neutron rope. Her original underwater submarine fendering was kept, and refurbished.
(NavSource Online)


  • Vessel Name: ELLEN McALLISTER
  • USCG Doc. No.: 1122272
  • Vessel Service: TOWING VESSEL
  • IMO Number: 8980892
  • Trade Indicator: Coastwise Unrestricted, Registry
  • Call Sign: WDA6829
  • Hull Material: STEEL
  • Hull Number: YTB 793
  • Ship Builder: MARINETTE MARINE CORPORATION
  • Year Built: 1967
  • Length: 102.3
  • Hailing Port: NEW YORK, NY.
  • Hull Depth: 16.3
  • Hull Breadth: 29
  • Gross Tonnage: 243
  • Net Tonnage: 72
  • Previous Vessel Names:
    YTB-793 (Piqua), Piqua
  • Previous Vessel Owners:
    UNITED STATES NAVY, Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service, MCALLISTER BROTHERS LLC, GENERAL ELECTRIC CAPITAL CORPORATION, MCALLISTER BROTHERS LLC