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KALEEN McALLISTER
Photo by: Birk Thomas

Built in 1960, by the Southern Shipbuilding Corporation of Slidell, Louisiana (hull #YTB-756) as YTB-756 (Pontiac) for the United States Navy.

A Pontiac class district harbor tug. Her keel was laid down on March 22nd, 1960, the tug was launched on June 30th, 1960. She was delivered to the United States Navy on January 11th, 1961.

She was placed in service in January of 1961, and assigned to the 6th Naval District, Naval Station Charleston, South Carolina. The tug was later reassigned to Naval Station Mayport, Florida. She was then reassigned to Naval Air Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico.

The date she was placed out of service is unknown. The tug was struck from the Naval Register on April 25th, 1996. On October 4th, 2000 the tug was transferred to the General Services Administration (GSA) for sale or reuse.

In 2000, she was acquired by the McAllister Towing and Transportation Company of New York, New York. Where she was renamed as the Kaleen McAllister.

In 2002, the tug was repowered and reconfigured. Originally powered by a single, Fairbanks Morse, diesel engine rated at 2,000 horsepower. She was repowered with a single, EMD 16-645-E5, turbo diesel engine. Her single rudder and propeller was removed, and replaced with a Schottel 1515, variable pitch z-drive for a rated 3,000 horsepower.

The Kaleen McAllister was the second conversion of a United States Naval tug by McAllister Towing and Transportation. From a single screw configuration, to a z-drive configuration. However, she was the first conversion to feature a single, variable pitch z-drive.

The Kaleen McAllister was the sixth tractor tug to enter service for the McAllister Towing and Transportation Company.

In 2011, McAllister Towing and Transportation re powered the tug with a single, Tier II compliant, EMD 12-710 G7C diesel engine.

The tug's capacities are 22,900 gallons of fuel oil, 710 gallons of lube oil, and 1,240 gallons of potable water.

She was outfitted with a Goulds fire pump. Driven by a single 6-71 diesel engine. Rated at 2,000 Gallons Per Minute, tied into two Monitors rated for 1,500 gallons foam capacity.

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


  • Vessel Name: KALEEN McALLISTER
  • USCG Doc. No.: 1104217
  • Vessel Service: TOWING VESSEL
  • IMO Number: 8981810
  • Trade Indicator: Coastwise Unrestricted, Registry
  • Call Sign: WDB3847
  • Hull Material: STEEL
  • Hull Number: YTB-756
  • Ship Builder: SOUTHERN SHIPBUILDING CORPORATION
  • Year Built: 1960
  • 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-756 (Pontiac), Pontiac
  • Previous Vessel Owners:
    UNITED STATES NAVY, General Services Administration, MCALLISTER TOWING AND TRANSPORTATION COMPANY INC