Dawn Services Debuts Tugboat Named For Company Founder
Harvey, La.-based Dawn Services recently announced the addition of the mv. Capt. John J. Charpentier to its fleet. Built in 2003, the tugboat originally worked on the West Coast. Dawn Services acquired the vessel in 2024 and placed it back into service this year.
The Capt. John J. Charpentier measures 150 feet by 40 feet and boasts 8,200 brake hp. and 106 tons of bollard pull. The vessel is hull-, machinery- and ice-classed and certified to work internationally with ISM compliance.
The vessel’s namesake, Capt. Charpentier, grew up in New Orleans’ Algiers Point neighborhood and started working on tugs and ships as an engineer at a young age. Upon receiving his captain’s license, Charpentier went to work for the Federal Pilots, navigating deep-draft vessels anywhere from Southwest Pass near the mouth of the Mississippi River to Baton Rouge, La.
Charpentier and his son, Kenneth, founded Dawn Services in 1982 when they sold an explosives business and invested in an unfinished tugboat. Ever since, the company has focused on slow and steady growth, emphasizing quality crews and customer satisfaction. Dawn Services continues that vision with a new generation of leadership and a fleet of 13 tugboats.
Featured image caption: The mv. Captain John J. Charpentier motors on the Mississippi River toward the Crescent City Connection bridge in New Orleans. (Photo courtesy of Dawn Services)
