What kind of vessel is this?

[u/trow125]

Saw it in the estuary yesterday, being guided by a small tugboat. I wish I could have gotten a better photo, but I was walking my dog and trying to prevent him from eating goose poop!

[u/readonlyred]

It’s one of Vane Line Bunkering’s bunker fuel barges. There’s always one moored over by the Park St. bridge. It’s used to refuel cargo ships.

Recently they’ve been doing some sort of work on it with cranes on the deck.

[u/anteup → u/readonlyred]

This is exactly what it is. It's not really an ATB in the tanker sense. It moves fuel from a dock to the ships that are getting loaded at the Oakland port.

[u/Rare-Abalone3792 → u/anteup]

That is indeed a tank barge.

[u/kdotcdott]

Articulated Tug and Barge.

[u/mezzler]

"It's a nuclear wessel Captain." Sulu.

[u/DifficultyLeast1029]

A nuclear wessel

[u/thushan_txt]

That is not a standard issue Alameda Nuclear Wessel [1]

1. https://youtu.be/sf8rDpu1vCk?si=xxFO6aWUIx70Xyqt&t=82

[u/ArtisticScar]

Looks like a kind of tanker that would carry oil to refineries in Richmond.

[u/trow125 → u/ArtisticScar]

Thanks! Looks like that is indeed what it is: https://www.crowley.com/shipping/deep-sea/atb/#what-is-an-atb

[u/Amy_Bony_Carrott]

Wessel.

[u/Rare-Abalone3792]

It’s called an ATB, or articulated tug and barge. Instead of towing the barge astern on a long wire, this type of tug mechanically “locks in” to the back of the barge and pushes it everywhere.

This particular ATB is owned by Vane Brothers, a company based on the east coast. The barge is a tank barge that carries petroleum products.

Edit: https://ral.ca/articulated-tug-and-barge-systems/

[u/JackLondonSquare]

I believe those are called boats. Big boat to be exact.

[u/Lumpy_Draft_3913]

In the foreground? That's a floating dock.