8-K

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 Current Report
                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934



       Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) February 11, 2003




                                 MARITRANS INC.
               (Exact name of company as specified in its charter)



           Delaware                        1-9063                51-0343903
(State or Other Jurisdiction of   (Commission File Number)    (I.R.S. Employer
 Incorporation or Organization)                              Identification No.)



             Two Harbour Place
          302 Knights Run Road
                 Suite 1200
               Tampa, Florida                                   33602
  (Address of principal executive offices)                   (Zip Code)



                                 (813) 209-0600
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)







Item 5.       Other Events
              ------------

                   On February 11, 2003, The Board of Directors of Maritrans
              Inc. appointed Philip J. Doherty to chief executive officer
              effective April 1, 2003. Stephen A. Van Dyck, former chief
              executive officer, will continue to be employed by the Company as
              chairman of Maritrans Inc. The press release relating to this
              announcement is filed as Exhibit 99.1 to this Form 8-K and is
              incorporated herein by reference.

Item 7.       Financial Statements and Exhibits
              ---------------------------------

             (c) Exhibits

                 99.1 - Press release dated February 11, 2003*

              * Filed herewith








                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                             MARITRANS INC.


Date: February 13, 2003                      By:  /s/ Walter T. Bromfield
                                                  ---------------------------
                                                      Walter T. Bromfield
                                                      Chief Financial Officer

EX-99

Exhibit 99.1


[Graphic Omitted]
           Two Harbour Place
           302 Knights Run Avenue
           Tampa, FL 33602
           813-209-0600
           800-922-4596

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
WALTER T. BROMFIELD (813) 209-0602
JUDITH M. CORTINA (610) 595-8055
                                                           NEWS RELEASE
                                                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


                    MARITRANS INC. ANNOUNCES THE APPOINTMENT
                 OF PHILIP J. DOHERTY TO CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER


         Tampa, FL (February 11, 2003) - The Board of Directors of Maritrans
Inc. (NYSE symbol "TUG") today appointed Philip J. Doherty to chief executive
officer effective April 1, 2003. Stephen A. Van Dyck, former chief executive
officer, will continue to be employed by the Company as chairman of Maritrans
Inc.

         Stephen A. Van Dyck, chairman of the board of directors, commented, "I
am proud to have served as the leader of Maritrans and its predecessors for over
28 years. We have achieved a strong reputation with our customers and the
confidence of our investors and stakeholders. We have an innovative fleet
renewal program and a safety record that has been honored repeatedly by the
United States Coast Guard. It is satisfying and exciting to be passing
leadership of this respected company to Phil Doherty. For the past five years,
Phil has been involved in all aspects of the Company's strategy and operations
and brings a great deal of knowledge and skill to his role. He has emerged as
the leader of our executive team and is acquainted with many of our customers
and crew members. I will continue to work with Phil to shape the strategy for
Maritrans and am confident that Maritrans' shareholders, customers and employees
will have a successful future under Phil's leadership."

         Since 1974, Mr. Van Dyck has managed the Company and has been an
outspoken industry advocate in Washington and around the world. Mr. Van Dyck
will maintain his senior role with Maritrans' customers and key stakeholders. He
will also continue service to the industry as chairman of The West of England
Ship Owners Mutual Insurance Association (Luxemburg), chairman of the Chamber of
Shipping of America, and member of the Intertanko Executive Committee. He is a
member of ABS Americas, the American Petroleum Institute and other industry
organizations. Mr. Van Dyck is a director of AmeriGas Propane, Inc., and a
trustee of the Webb Institute of naval architecture and Connecticut College.

                                     -MORE-

Maritrans Inc. Announces the Appointment of Philip J. Doherty to
Chief Executive Officer
Page Two
February 11, 2003



         Philip J. Doherty, 43, was named President of Maritrans General Partner
Inc. in December 2001. He was Vice President of Maritrans Inc. since 1999, and
was hired by the company as Director of Finance in 1997. Prior to joining
Maritrans he was director of business development at Computer Command and
Control Company and had also held executive posts in the environmental sector.
Mr. Doherty earned a master's degree in Analytical Chemistry from Tufts
University and received his M.B.A. in Finance from The Wharton School,
University of Pennsylvania.

         In accepting the promotion, Mr. Doherty said, "I am ready for the
challenge of leading Maritrans through this unique time in history. I strongly
believe that we have the best company in the industry. We are in a position of
financial strength and our skilled mariners are among the best in the world. My
team will maintain the Maritrans tradition of excellence, conservatism and
service while building a viable fleet and team for the future."

ABOUT MARITRANS

         Maritrans Inc. is a U.S. based company with a 75-year commitment to
building and operating petroleum transport vessels for the U.S. domestic trade.
Maritrans owns and operates one of the largest fleets serving the U.S. coastwise
trade. The Maritrans fleet currently consists of four oil tankers and eleven
oceangoing married tug/barge units with an aggregate fleet capacity of 3.6
million barrels. Nearly 60 percent of its capacity is double-hulled. Maritrans
is headquartered in Tampa, Florida, and maintains an office in the Philadelphia
area that supports the Company's Northeast crude oil lightering operations. The
common stock of Maritrans Inc. is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under
the symbol "TUG."

SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT
         The information in this news release includes certain forward-looking
statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and
other factors that may cause actual results, levels of activity, growth,
performance, earnings per share or achievements to be materially different from
that expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These
statements are based on assumptions the Company believes are reasonable, but a
variety of factors could cause the Company's actual results, goals, targets or
objectives to differ materially from those contemplated, projected, forecast,
estimated, anticipated, planned or budgeted. Such factors include, among others,
changes in oil companies' decisions as to the type and origination point of the
crude that it processes, changes in the amount of imported petroleum products,
competition for marine transportation, domestic oil consumption, the
continuation of federal law restricting United States point-to-point maritime
shipping to U.S. vessels (the Jones Act), demand for petroleum products, future
spot market rates, changes in interest rates, the effect of war or terrorists
activities and the general financial, economic, environmental and regulatory
conditions affecting the oil and marine transportation industry in general.



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