Prentiss Brown was originally constructed in 1967 by Gulfport Shipbuilding Corp. of Port Arthur, Texas, as their Hull #693. She was built for Gulfcoast Transit, a subsidiary of Tampa Electric Co., and named Betty Culbreath. Gulfcoast took delivery of the tug in August 1967. She is 123’05’’ long, 31’06’’ wide, and 19’ deep, and powered by a pair of GM EMD 20-645-E2 diesel engines producing 3900 BHP. Betty Culbreath was paired with the bulk carrier barge Pearle Jahn in the fall of 1967, and the pair entered service hauling coal from Gulf ports for delivery to Tampa Electric power plants at Tampa, Florida.
In 2003, Betty Culbreath was sold to McAllister Towing & Transportation of New York City. McAllister renamed her Michaela McAllister, and she entered service for them as a harbor assistance tug based in Charleston, South Carolina.
Michaela McAllister was purchased by Port City Marine Services, a subsidiary of Sand Products Corporation, in mid-2008. She was sailed onto the Great Lakes in July 2008, and proceeded to Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, for a refit. She was drydocked in early 2009, and underwent refurbishments to her interior and engines, and was repainted in Port City colors. A Bludworth ATB coupler was installed, allowing her to pair with a barge. She was renamed Prentiss Brown, and departed the shipyard on February 8, 2009, for Milwaukee, WI, to mate up with the barge St. Marys Conquest. Port City Marine Services was contracted to manage and operate St. Marys Conquest. The pair departed Milwaukee on their maiden voyage together on March 8, 2009, bound for Charlevoix, MI, to load.
In 2015, Prentiss Brown swapped places with her fleetmate Bradshaw McKee as the primary push tug for the barge St. Marys Challenger. Prentiss switched between pushing the barges St. Marys Challenger and St. Marys Conquest for a portion of the 2019 and 2020 seasons while Port City awaited the arrival of their third tug. Prentiss Brown remains in service today, pushing the barge St. Marys Challenger.
Written by Brendan Falkowski
| Tug Particulars | |
| Length | 123′ 05″ (37.61m) |
| Beam | 31’06″ (9.6m) |
| Depth | 19’ (5.79m) |
| Midsummer Draft | ??’ 00″ (?.??m) |
| Engine Power | 4,320 bhp diesel |
| Previous Names | |
| Betty Culbreath | 1967-2003 |
| Michaela McAllister | 2003-2008 |
| Prentiss Brown | 2008-Today |
| Barges paired with tug | |
| Pearle Jahn | 1967-2003 |
| St. Marys Conquest | 2009-2015 |
| St. Marys Challenger | 2015-Present |
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