The powerful, ice-strengthened tug Reliance was purchased by Purvis Marine in 2001. The vessel was built by Harlo Verkstad at Ulsteinvik, Norway, in 1974 and joined International Transport ontractors as Sinni. It was registered in the Netherlands Antilles and measured 148 feet, 3 inches long, 35 feet 6 inches wide and 21 feet, 5 inches in depth.
Sinni was sold to Atlantic Towing in 1981. Reamed Irving Cedar, the ship came to Canada to serve Irving interests around the Maritimes. It is powered by two 16-cylinder A. B. Norhab diesel engines of 5,700 bhp, providing a service speed of 15 knots.
One of the tasks this tug undertook was to tow the retired American lakers Thomas W. Lamont and Enders M. Voorhees from Quebec City to Algeciras, Spain, in 1987. Another tug took over from there and, while the former arrived intact at Aliaga, Turkey, for scrapping in 1988, the latter laker got loose, stranded and broke in two. These sections were eventually salvaged and finally reached the intended Turkish destination in 1989.
Atlantic Towing renamed the tug Atlantic Cedar in 1996 and sold the 493.47 gross ton vessel to Purvis Marine in 2001. It was upbound in the Seaway on March 31, for delivery to Sault Ste. Marie. Renamed Reliance in 2002, the ship has worked with company barges, brought retired lakers to Sault Ste. Marie for scrapping and traveled north to the Arctic with the package freight barge Nova D.
Adapted with permission from “The Ships of the Purvis Marine Fleet” by Buck Longhurst, Skip Gillham.
| Tug Particulars | |
| Length | 148′ 03″ (45.19m) |
| Beam | 35′ 07″ (10.85m) |
| Depth | 21′ 07″ (6.58m) |
| Engine Power | 5,700 bhp diesel |
| Previous Names | |
| Sinni | 1974 – 1981 |
| Irving Cedar | 1981 – 1996 |
| Atlantic Cedar | 1996 – 2002 |
| Reliance | 2002 – Today |