In the end, a crane on a barge was once again needed to launch a new 136-foot tug into Holmes Harbor.

The Tina Pyne, a 11,320-plus ton articulating tug or ATB built by Nichols Brothers Boat Builders in Freeland, was successfully floated Sunday morning. She was towed to Everett as planned, and is now back on Whidbey, tied up to the company’s dock in Langley for final outfitting, and dock and sea trials.

The operation didn’t go as smoothly as hoped, but it was ultimately successful, according to shipyard CEO Gavin Higgins.

“We have a [launch] system that we’re developing,” he said. “We learned a lot from this experience and we’re confident we can launch boats in the future without the need for a barge and crane.”

The Tina Pyne is the sister ship of the Nancy Peterkin, which required two cranes on barges, and a small fleet of tugboats last year to launch from a new track system. The shipyard made some modifications to the system for the Tina Pyne’s launch, which began Wednesday, but mechanical, tide and scheduling headaches conspired to delay the floating until Sunday morning.

Both ATB tugs, which are designed to mate with 581-foot barges, were built for Kirby Offshore Marine. The company also has orders with Nichols Brothers for two 120-foot line-tow tugboats.