The Port of Portland in Oregon in December took delivery of the Cowlitz, a 69’x27’8″ dredge tender, constructed at Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, Freeland, Wash.
While developing the vessel, the design team at Glosten, Seattle, worked to include feedback from the tugboat’s future operators. That included letting the helmsmen don virtual reality goggles so they could see what their view would be from the helm and throughout the boat.
“It gave us a first glance at what the vessel was going to look like and how the operators would feel,” said Chet Thomas, engineering manager for the Port of Portland…