NAVAL ARCHITECTS & Marine Engineers

FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED since 1978

A young man standing on a small boat near a large sailing ship on the water.

ABOUT US

CT Marine is a naval architecture and marine engineering firm based in Portland, Maine. Founded in 1978 by Capt. Corning Townsend III, the firm has spent nearly five decades at the forefront of global inland vessel design, building a body of work that has fundamentally shaped the inland waterway system as it exists today.

CT Marine has designed every towboat on the Mississippi River over 6,600 horsepower since 1988, accumulating nearly two thousand projects and over forty million hours of proven engineering operating on the water. That record reflects not only the breadth of the firm's experience, but the depth of its technical commitment at every stage of the design and construction process.

The firm's approach to vessel design is rooted in hydrodynamic research that predates CT Marine itself. Founder Corning Townsend spent years working in the University of Michigan's ship model basin and as a guest scientific officer at MARIN in the Netherlands before establishing the firm. That foundation has informed every design CT Marine has produced since, and has given rise to a series of patented technologies, including the CT28 and CTSL nozzle systems and the TwinDIFF differential rudder system, that define the performance characteristics of the modern high-horsepower river towboat.

CT Marine is led today by Christian Townsend, who joined the firm in 1992 and assumed ownership in 2015. That same year, CT Marine partnered with Buoyancy Consultants to form Hyperion Marine Group, extending the firm's capabilities through a network of engineers and designers operating across North America, Europe, India, and Southeast Asia. Modern tools including 3D modeling, virtual reality design review, computational fluid dynamics, and advanced hydrodynamic simulation are now central to the firm's practice, complementing a design philosophy built on decades of physical testing and direct operational experience.

CT Marine remains a family firm across three generations, with each successive generation of Townsends trained within the firm and grounded in the same principles that have guided its work from the beginning: rigorous engineering, an uncompromising standard for vessel performance, and a firsthand understanding of the boats and the people who operate them.

OUR SERVICES
Featured Projects
01
11,000BHP Class:
M/V ACBL Mariner
Twin Screw Line Haul Towboat
Workboat Magazine 2025 Significant Boat of the Year
(3) Vessels Constructed
02
1,500BHP Class:
USS Cairo
1500BHP Twin Screw Z-Drive Fleeting Boat
Workboat Magazine 2015 Significant Boat of the Year
(1) Vessel Constructed
03
6,000BHP Class:
M/V Cindy L. Erickson
Triple Screw Z-Drive Line Haul Towboat
Workboat Magazine 2019 Significant Boat of the Year
(6) Vessels Constructed
04
4,500BHP Class:
Crown Point
Twin Screw Western Rivers Line Haul Towboat
Workboat Magazine 2015 Significant Boat of the Year
(3) Vessels Constructed

Stock Boat Program

CT Marine offers a library of stock towboat designs available for immediate purchase. Each design includes a complete drawing package and full production engineering. Designs can be modified to suit specific operational requirements.

Design HP Propellers Propulsion LOA Beam Draft
+ Truckable Tug 600 2 Open-Wheel 25' 11" 15' 5'
Truckable Tug
Harbor Tug 1,200 2 Open-Wheel 62' 26' 7'
+ CTM / NetZERO Electric Tug 1,500 2 Any 70' 33' 8'
CTM / NetZERO Electric Tug
+ Fleeting Boat 1,600 2 CT28-SL Nozzle 68' 28' 7' 6"
Fleeting Boat
Short Line Haul 2,000 2 Nozzle or Z-Drive 78' 34' 9'

on the water

Live vessel positions - click any boat for details

Proven Performance
Every towboat we've designed is still out there working. Below is the total number of hours our fleet has logged.
0
Hours
00
Minutes
Estimate based on 244 vessels with an average age of 20.4 years, operating 340 days per year.
A hand holding a measuring tape against a wall, measuring the height of a baby in a crib.

Our Clients

Logo for American Commercial Bange Line featuring black, red, white, and blue colors.
Marathon logo featuring a red letter 'M' with a blue outline and the word 'MARATHON' underneath in blue capital letters.
Tide Water logo with a stylized wave and the company name in bold green letters
Close-up of the vintage Michigan Wolverines logo featuring a large red 'M' with block style and serif details.
Close-up of a sign with a red and white circular design and the partial word 'INFORM' in blue letters underneath.
A red square sign with a white castle symbol in the center.
A green waving flag with a white diamond shape in the center containing the blue text ‘KIRBY’.

and over 300 MORE…

“When it comes to designing a new, high horsepower, river service towboat, HFL has exclusively relied on both CT Marine & Hyperion Marine Group. Their 'do it right the first time' mentality aligns with my vision for how things are done at Hines Furlong Line. These larger, river service towboats are 80+ year assets. Investing in the right decision with CT Marine & Hyperion Marine Group is the foundation of creating a comfortable vessel for our crews that is both built to perform and stand the test of time.”
— Kent Furlong: Owner, Hines Furlong Line
“Both CT Marine and Hyperion's engineering and design expertise, coupled with their insightful interaction with both the yard and class was instrumental in completing our project on time and on budget.”
— Charles R. Ferrer: Senior Director, Ocean Freight Logistics
“CT Marine is the world's most experienced firm in the field of large ocean barge design, model testing and river and ocean barge hydrodynamics. CT Marine's experience dates back some 50 years and covers a huge range of testing and design efforts in both river and ocean barges and towboats. This experience coupled with the expertise at Hyperion Marine Group produce the industry's finest detail and production design firm in the world.”
— Robert Hill (1953-2022): Founder, Ocean Tug and Barge Engineering

Submit a Project Inquiry

Or contact us at:

+1 (207) 232-7209

towboats@ctmarine.com