Tugboat Charter
Tugboat Charter 2B
‘Gulf Explorer’
- Harbour Towage
- Long-Range & Ocean Towage
- Barge Mobilisation
- Cargo, Freight & Fuel Transfer
- Offshore Support & Offshore Supply





*Up-to-date details, rates and availability for all charter tugboats are provided upon enquiry.
North Marine’s fleet has recently expanded, and not all charter vessels are online. Please contact us if you can’t see the tugboat to suit your project.
About 2B Charter Tugboat ‘Gulf Explorer’
North Marine’s Gulf Explorer is a 25-meter charter tugboat in AMSA Class 2B survey.
The Gulf Explorer is suitable as a harbour tugboat, for long-range/ocean-going towage and for offshore support charters.
Available for hire alone or with a range of support vessels or tug and barge combinations.
She has a 20-ton bollard pull capacity and a cruising range of over three thousand nautical miles.
There is a large, working deck area, a 30 meter³ deck hold and an onboard hydraulic crane.
Liveaboard accommodation can transport up to 16 workers, with berthage to sleep 10.
Furthermore, she is well-established in delivering to remote areas and conducting offshore supply voyages.
North Marine tugboat services are tailored to your project requirements. Comprehensive work proposals, timely support and exemplary communication are guaranteed.
The Gulf Explorer is available for extended charter operations as well as daily-rate hire.
North Marine is a tugboat company based in the Port of Cairns in Australia. Providing tugboat charters and towage services throughout Australia and the Pacific region.
Tug Vessel Information
Commercial Tugboat Vessel Specifications
Tugboat 2B Charter Vessel
Monohull steel tugboat for hire – for marine towage or as an offshore support vessel.
Registration No 29089QB
O.N 344009
IMO No 7207217
Gross Tonnage 158.58 tonnes
Place of Survey Cairns, Queensland Australia
Home Port Port of Cairns, Queensland Australia
Survey AMSA Full Class 2B Survey, 16 Person anywhere within the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
Survey Number Gulf Explorer Tugboat – Survey No 14036
Vessel Length 25.60 Meter
Breadth 7.82 Meter
Draft 4.19 Meter
Bollard Pull 20-Ton Tug Bollard
Cruising Speed 8 Knots
Deck Equipment
Deck Hold Large dry deck hold 30m³ with marine crane access
Hydraulic Crane 12-ton-meter crane with a 9-meter reach
Marine Tugboat Anchors 2 x stockless anchors
Windlass Hydraulic, twin gypsy, drum end
Marine Towing Winch 1 x hydraulic marine towing with split drum
Marine Tow Hook Fitted with quick release
Fuel Burn
130 litres per hour at 9 knots
70 litres per hour at 6 knots
Tank Capacities
Fuel 43.89 tonnes
Freshwater 12.55 tonnes
Desalinator 120 litres per hour
Tug Liveaboard Accommodation
Ten berth, fully air-conditioned liveaboard accommodation – Suitable for local and offshore personnel, crew transfer, crew accommodation and offshore workers accommodation
Fully air-conditioned interior
Fully equipped galley; stove, oven, fridge/freezers, microwave, cold water fountain, auto boil, S/S BBQ
Mess with TV & film library
Two hot and cold showers
2 x toilets (Class A sullage system)
Tug Accommodation Berths 2 x 1 Berth, 2 x 2 Berth, 1 x 4 Berth
Navigation / Communication Equipment
Radar Furuno SCX20 NMEA 2000
Compass Magnetic & Satellite
Auto Pilot TMQ Bosun AP9
Echo Sounders Furuno LS4100 / SIMRAD NSS12
V.H.F. Radio Icom IC M304 – IVGME 3 x Handheld V.H.F.s
G.P.S. Garmin GPS Map 550 / SIMRAD NSS12
Side Scan Sonar Simrad NSS12
Satellite Phone Beam Oceana 800
Vessel Engine Room
Main Engines 2 x Blackstone ESL8 Mk2 736kw
Gearboxes 2 x Eisenwerke Reinjes WAV1251 Reduction: 5: 1
Propellers Kort nozzle, fixed pitch
Auxiliary Engines 1 x Lister 6 cylinder x 40KVA 3 Phase; 1 x John Deere 55KVA 3 Phase
Air Compressor 2 x Stenhoj H-6-Block 2 air banks
Warning Devices Main engine oil pressure and temperature gauges and alarms. Bilge and fire alarms.
Steering Gear Hydraulic, fixed nozzle, conventional rudders
Bilge/Fire 2 x KL Pegson to manifold
Fuel Pumps 1 x 300LPM fuel transfer pump 1 x 300LPM portable/diesel driven
Lifesaving
Safety Equipment To full AMSA 2B requirements
Liferaft 1 x 16 person Seasava
Extras (Available Upon Request)
Tug & barge charter combinations, upon request (Dumb barge, landing barge, spud barge charter etc.)
WIDE RANGE OF WORKBOAT / TENDER COMBINATIONS – CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION
14 cuft Bauer HP Dive compressor
65 cuft LP Air compressor with 100m x ¾” hose (non-breathe)
8.0m Aluminium landing barge with bow door
3,000-litre fuel cells
6.5m Aluminium “Duck” workboat for hire in AMSA survey for 12 pax
4.5m inflatable RIB workboat for hire
Dinghies various
Dry Laboratory / Stowage Room. Air-conditioned worker’s room – suitable for an onsite office or dry laboratory. Size 3 meters x 2 meters x 3 meters
2 x 1,500 litres Aluminium Portable Fuel Cell
Exterior Vessel Diagram – North Marine Tugboat Charter
Main Deck – North Marine Charter Tugboat, Gulf Explorer
Lower Deck – North Marine Charter Tugboat, Gulf Explorer
Bridge Deck – North Marine Charter Tugboat, Gulf Explorer
Commercial Tugboat Charter Rates
North Marine offers hourly, daily, and extended voyage tugboat charter rates. All tugboat hire rates are in line with competitive industry standards.
Tugboat charter rates include loading and unloading time, voyage time, and duration at the worksite.
If required, use of our hi-ab truck or dogman and franna crane may incur additional charges.
A full pricing schedule may be requested by contacting North Marine:
North Marine Tugboat Company in Australia
Based out of the Port of Cairns in Queensland, Australia, our tugboats work anywhere inside the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone EEZ.
We offer competitive rates for tug and barge charters throughout the Pacific Ocean. Primary service areas include the Great Barrier Reef, the Torres Strait and the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Our waterfront yard, North Wharf in the Port of Cairns, provides marine storage facilities, all-tide access, a roll-on-roll-off ramp and wharf access for loading and unloading.
North Marine tailors solutions to all projects on the water – please contact us to discuss the solution that works best for you.
Additional Tugboat Support in the Port of Cairns, Queensland
Supplementary marine support is available in conjunction with North Marine’s tugboat charters from the Port of Cairns.
Marine storage and sheds (both in Cairns city and in Cairns Port), in-house tradespeople, local marine consultancy services and more.