NASSCO Christens Yard Tug Blue Fin

U.S. shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO has taken delivery of a new tug, Blue Fin, to support its waterfront activities.

The new tug, built by Marine Group Boat Works in National City, Calif., was christened July 8 at a ceremony at NASSCO’s shipyard in Barrio Logan in San Diego. Bonnie Fanelli, the wife of 43-year NASSCO employee and assistant dockmaster Tom Fanelli, christened the tug.

The name Blue Fin was selected for the new tug after NASSCO invited local K-8 students to participate in a vessel naming contest. The winning name was submitted by Edgar Cordoba who attends King Chavez Academy of Excellence in Barrio Logan.

NASSCO said the name Blue Fin is very significant to the shipyard. In the 1940s, when San Diego’s tuna industry was at its peak, NASSCO was one of the largest tuna boat manufacturers in the region. Today, bluefin tuna can be found directly off San Diego’s coastline, and are highly sought after by local fishermen.