The following is the text of a news release from Horizon Shipbuilding:
(BAYOU LA BATRE, Ala.) — Horizon Shipbuilding has delivered M/V Victoria Pasentine, a 120-foot towboat with a retractable pilothouse, to its home port of New Orleans. This is the 20th vessel delivered to Florida Marine Transporters by Horizon and ninth year doing business together.
M/V Victoria Pasentine has an ABS load line certificate to operate in the waters between Chicago to Burns Harbor for fair weather voyages. It is 120-by-35-by-11.5 feet and weighs 387 gross tons. The vessel is of all steel construction and powered by two Cat 3512 engines rated at 2,011 hp each at 1,600 rpm with Twin Disc gears. With the house fully retracted, the maximum air draft is 17 feet 8 inches. The boat is outfitted with two 175-kW Tier 3 John Deer 6090 gensets. It is also outfitted for service in certain areas restricted to overhead clearances and draft limitation. Sleeping accommodations and facilities are provided for eight people and sound dampening systems have been implemented throughout the main deckhouse.
Terry Freeman managed the construction of the vessel. He and his team completed the build on schedule for FMT. “On behalf of the Horizon team I would like to thank our vendors such as Gulf Coast Air & Hydraulics, who supplied the lift system and associated components for the pilothouse; EMI, which has handled the steering and machinery alarm systems for every boat, and Kern Martin Services, which has done the interior package for all of our FMT builds," Freeman said. "All have made up an exceptional team and been an integral part of successful, on-time delivery of this vessel. Construction was completed and delivered on April 11, 2017.”
One reason the Horizon team is able to operate at such a high level is its Gordhead management software. This software has reduced production man-hours and shortened delivery schedules. Both of Horizon's new customers, McAllister Towing and Transportation Co. and Hornblower New York Ferry Fleet LLC, mentioned Gordhead as a contributing factor in their selection process.
