Eastern Shipbuilding delivers two towboats to FMT
Eastern Shipbuilding of Panama City, Fla., has delivered two more 90-foot towboats to Florida Marine Transporters, bringing the total order to 65 boats over the past 11 years.
The newest vessels are Capt. Ricky Torres, delivered in October, and Cullen Pasentine, delivered in late December. Gilbert Associates of Boston produced plans for the 90-footers.
The vessels have much in common with their predecessors, including twin Caterpillar 3512 Tier 3 engines producing 1,500 hp each. The vessels also have Twin Disc reduction gears and 99-kW John Deere generators.
The 65 boats Eastern has built for FMT started out with a 25-boat order. Over the years, it has grown into the single largest order of its kind in the U.S. delivered from a single yard to a single operator, according to Eastern Shipbuilding.
Master Marine builds 11th pushboat for Marquette
Marquette Transportation has taken delivery of St. Matthias, the 11th and final z-drive pushboat in a multi-year order with Master Marine of Bayou La Batre, Ala. Entech Designs provided plans for the 78-foot vessel to be operated by Marquette’s river division based in Paducah, Ky.
The towboat has a running speed of 10 knots thanks to two Caterpillar C32 Tier 3 engines producing 1,000 hp each linked with ZF Marine AT 5111WM-FP z-drives turning 65-inch propellers. Electrical service comes from two John Deere 4045 engines driving 80-kW Marathon generators.
Other components include Eastpark Radiator Duraweld coolers, Schuyler rubber fendering and Patterson 40-ton deck winches. St. Matthias will have a crew contingent of up to nine with accommodations in five staterooms. The vessel has 3.5 bathrooms.
The vessel is expected to work in the Mississippi River and surrounding waterways. Marquette officials have been extremely pleased with the earlier boats in the series, a company spokeswoman said earlier this year.
Gladding-Hearn delivers excursion boat to Circle Line
Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises of New York City has taken delivery of the first of three new excursion boats from Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding of Somerset, Mass.
The newest delivery, Circle Line Bronx, is a 600-passenger steel ship. Dejong and Lebet N.A. of Jacksonville, Fla., provided the design for the 165-footer. It is a sister ship to three vessels Gladding-Hearn delivered to Circle Line in 2009, but it also includes a number of upgrades.
“The new vessels will offer guests an enhanced sightseeing experience on every level,” Costas Markou, president and chief operating officer of New York Cruise Lines, said in a statement. “Notably, visitors will enjoy upgrades in classes of service and the introduction of a variety of new and innovative experiences, including improvements in content and entertainment options, viewing sight lines, as well as enhanced food and beverage selections.”
Circle Line Bronx can achieve 14 knots from twin Cummins QSK38-M1 engines producing a combined 2,600 hp connected to ZF gearboxes turning 60-inch bronze props. Electricity comes from two 140-kW generators, and the ship also has a 125-hp Wesmar bow thruster.
There are three decks for passenger comfort, a cocktail bar and VIP seating. The 210,000-BTU diesel-fired boiler will provide heat in the cooler months, and air conditioning is courtesy six 10-ton water-chilled coolers.
Vigor builds research boat for California agency
Seattle-based Vigor has delivered a research boat to a California agency that monitors water quality around Sacramento and San Francisco.
The state’s Department of Water Resources named the 60-foot aluminum catamaran Sentinel. It replaces the 40-year-old San Carlos, which has performed similar work since the 1970s.
“Sentinel is a floating laboratory whose mission is to protect water quality,” the department said in a statement. “The flagship of DWR’s Environmental Monitoring Program enables staff to conduct water quality, nutrient and lower trophic (phytoplankton, zooplankton and benthos) monitoring of the delta.
“The research vessel plays a critical role helping to meet water quality objectives and the mandated requirements of biological opinions issued by the courts to guide water quality issues in the delta,” DWR said.
Sentinel has dual Cummins QSB 6.7 engines producing 419 hp each that allow the boat to operate at 20 knots. It has 266 square feet of lab space and more than 330 square feet of aft deck space. It has overnight accommodations for five people and three cranes each capable of lifting 3,300 pounds.
Vane takes delivery of tug, has barge christened
Vane Brothers has taken delivery of a fourth Elizabeth Anne-class tugboat from St. Johns Ship Building in Palatka, Fla., and the operator’s newest barge has been christened at Conrad Industries’ yard in Morgan City, La.
Its newest tug is the 4,200-hp Delaware, the fourth of an eight-boat order from the Florida shipyard. The fifth boat, Philadelphia, should be finished in February and the remaining three will be done before 2018, the company said in a news release.
Entech Designs provided plans for the Elizabeth Anne-class model-bow tugs. The 100-foot vessels have two Caterpillar 3516 Tier 3 engines producing 2,100 hp each. Ship service power comes from two John Deere PowerTech 4045 99-kW generators while a third John Deere 4045 drives the Intercontinental DD200 towing winch.
Delaware will work in Philadelphia alongside two dozen other Vane Brothers vessels. The company’s main business is moving petroleum barges. The company’s fleet now includes about 50 tugs and 80 barges spread among seven East Coast ports.
The company’s newest barge, C-1149, has capacity for 55,000 barrels of product. Delivery is expected in March, Conrad said.
