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A tugboat is a type of vessel that\u00a0maneuvers other vessels by pushing or pulling them, either by means of direct contact or a tow line.\u00a0They typically move vessels that are unable to move on their own, as is often the case with large vessels in\u00a0crowded harbors or narrow canals.\u00a0The\u00a0huge\u00a0USNS Comfort<\/em>, equipped with\u00a01,000 patient beds, 12 fully equipped operating rooms, eight intensive care unit beds and four radiology suites, had multiple tugboats assist\u00a0as it left Norfolk and docked in New York City.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tugboats are powerful for their size and strongly built.\u00a0The four tugboats that assisted in docking the\u00a0Comfort<\/em>\u00a0in New York City\u00a0provided\u00a0more than\u00a021,000 horsepower\u00a0and\u00a0successfully guided\u00a0the massive hospital\u00a0ship\u00a0smoothly to her berth.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n No one knows\u00a0the towing and shipbuilding industry\u00a0like\u00a0Cenac Marine Services<\/a>,\u00a0a multi-generation family-owned business headquartered in Houma, Louisiana.\u00a0Originally founded in 1927 as Cenac Towing Company\u00a0by Jock Cenac,\u00a0the company\u00a0concentrates on\u00a0the construction, repair, repowering and maintenance of the newest and most innovative push boat and tank barges operating within the U.S. Inland\u00a0Waterway and the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Today, Jock\u00a0Cenac\u2019s\u00a0grandson\u00a0Arlen \u201cBenny\u201d Cenac Jr.<\/a>\u00a0has taken over the family business and maintains its commitment to employee satisfaction and company morale.\u00a0Cenac Marine Services, through Benny\u00a0Cenac\u2019s\u00a0leadership and vision, achieved great success\u00a0offering\u00a0inland and offshore boats and tank barges and served\u00a0oil companies and refineries throughout the U.S. by transporting crude oil, lubricants, residual fuels and more.\u00a0The liquidation of their industry-leading fleet\u00a0coupled with\u00a0the\u00a0acquisition of\u00a0Main Iron Works<\/a>\u00a0which\u00a0has given Cenac Marine Services shipbuilding, repair and repoweringcapabilities,\u00a0strengthening\u00a0its position as a leader and innovator in the maritime industry.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It came as no surprise to Benny Cenac that tugboats played such a crucial role in getting the\u00a0USNS Comfort<\/em>\u00a0out of the port in Norfolk and docked in New York City.\u00a0Such undertakings often require the aid of one or more powerful tugboats, but Benny Cenac was humbled by the\u00a0importance of this operation in particular.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI think it just shows how important the work that we do really is,\u201d Benny Cenac said.\u00a0\u201cWith something like the coronavirus, most people wouldn\u2019t realize that tugboats actually have the ability to change and save lives.\u00a0It\u2019s a source of great pride for all of us who work in this industry.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The role of the tugboats in getting the\u00a0Comfort\u00a0<\/em>to New York also demonstrates\u00a0just how far reaching the work in fighting a pandemic is.\u00a0Nothing, of course, can\u00a0compare to\u00a0the work that the health care\u00a0professionals\u00a0do on the front lines, but there are so many other workers in addition who also play a role: grocery store workers,\u00a0delivery drivers and even maritime workers.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDuring this difficult time, the work we do in the maritime industry is considered essential,\u201d Benny Cenac said.\u00a0\u201cThe\u00a0USNS Comfort<\/em>\u00a0wouldn\u2019t have made it to New York without the dedicated crew and captain who were risking their\u00a0health and safety to get the vessel docked and ready to receive patients.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n