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ELIZABETH MORAN (1967)
Pictured as: the Elizabeth McAllister (McAllister Towing) Photo by: Birk Thomas

Built in 1967, by the Gulfport Shipbuilding Corporation of Port Arthur, Texas (hull #689) as the Elizabeth Moran for the Moran Towing Corporation of New York, New York.

In May of 1988, the Elizabeth Moran was pushing a cement barge outbound New York Harbor. Just south of the Verrazano bridge, in Graves End Bay. She was in heavy fog when she was "t-boned" by a car carrier that was inbound to New York harbor. Most of the crew jumped overboard with the exception of two crew members who were already in the water.

All were found and recovered by the tug Michael Turecamo. Which was standing by to assist the inbound ship that collided with the Elizabeth Moran into Port Elizabeth, New Jersey. The Michael Turecamo brought all of the victims (none of which suffered any serious injuries) to the nearby quarantine station in Staten Island, New York.

The tug was salvaged, raised, refurbished by the DonJon Marine Company of Hillside, New Jersey. Where she renamed as the Carol Ann Witte.

In 1989, the DonJon Marine Company renamed the tug as the J.A. Witte.

In 1993, the tug was acquired by Captain Arthur Fournier of the Portland Tugboat and Shipdocking Company of Portland, Maine. Where she was renamed as the Fournier Boys.

In 2001, the Portland Tugboat and Shipdocking Company was acquired by the McAllister Towing and Transportation Company of New York, New York. Where the tug was renamed as Elizabeth McAllister.

In 2021, she was phased out of active service and was scrapped at East Boston, Massachusetts.

She was powered by two, EMD 16-645-E2 diesel engines. With Falk reduction gears, at a ratio of 4.957:1. She was a twin screw tug, rated at 4,000 horsepower.

Her capacities were 57,044 gallons of fuel oil, 800 gallons of lube oil and 2,400 gallons of potable water.

Her towing gear consisted of an Almon Johnson, single drum, towing winch. Equipped with 2,400 (ft) of 2.25(in) towing wire.
(Don Waldeck, Captain Eric Takakjian, Captain Brian Fournier)


  • Vessel Name: ELIZABETH MORAN (1967)
  • USCG Doc. No.: 509916
  • Vessel Service: TOWING VESSEL
  • IMO Number: 7048348
  • Trade Indicator: Coastwise Unrestricted, Registry
  • Call Sign: WDB7652
  • Hull Material: STEEL
  • Hull Number: 689
  • Ship Builder: GULFPORT SHIPBUILDING CORPORATION
  • Year Built: 1967
  • Length: 102
  • Hailing Port: WILMINGTON, DE.
  • Hull Depth: 13.1
  • Hull Breadth: 28.5
  • Gross Tonnage: 298
  • Net Tonnage: 12
  • Previous Vessel Names:
    Elizabeth Moran, Carol Ann Witte, J.A. WITTE, FOURNIER BOYS, ELIZABETH McALLISTER
  • Previous Vessel Owners:
    Moran Towing Co., MORAN TOWING CORP, DonJon Marine Co. Inc., Portland Tugboat and Shipdocking Co., MCALLISTER TOWING AND TRANSPORTATION COMPANY INC