Built in 2008, by Chesapeake Shipbuilding of Salisbury, Maryland (hull #91) as the Sassafras for Vane Brothers of Baltimore, Maryland. She was the first Sassafras class tug built for Vane Brothers, designed by Frank Basile of Entech and Associates of Houma, Louisiana. Named for the Sassafras River, which is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay on the Delmarva Peninsula. Approximately 22 miles long it starts in western New Castle County, Delaware, and runs along the boundary between Cecil County, Maryland on the north and Kent County, Maryland on the south. It rises southwest of Middletown, Delaware and ends at the Chesapeake Bay in a wide mouth between Howell Point near Betterton, Maryland and Grove Point on Grove Neck. Powered by two Caterpillar 3512 diesel engines rated at 1,500 horsepower each with Twin Disc MG 6500 reduction gears at a ratio of 6.04:1 turning two Rolls Royce Troost design 87(in) four bladed propellers for a rated 3,000 horsepower. Electrical service is provided by two John Deere 99 kW generators. The tug’s towing gear consists of JonRie InterTech towing winch, with a JonRie InterTech deck capstan on her stern.