Gulf Island Shipyards, Houma, La., recently delivered the last of three new 180'x48'x11'6" linehaul towboats for Marquette Transportation Co., Paducah, Ky.
Designed by Gulf Island, CT Marine, Edgecomb, Maine, and Ships Architects Inc., Daphne, Ala., the Chad Pregracke’s propulsion package features twin EMD 20-710 G7C Tier 3 diesel engines capable of producing over 10,000 hp at 900 rpm. The engines turn a pair of Sound ducted, stainless steel, 5-bladed, 10'-dia. propellers through Reintjes gears supplied by Karl Senner.
The boat is also equipped with two sets of flanking rudders and two sets of Becker “high-lift” steering rudders, which provide added steering control and maneuverability. The propulsion package gives the Chad Pregracke a running speed of 8 knots.
The upper deckhouse is spring-mounted to the main deck, reducing noise and vibration for additional crew comfort. The towboat is capable of pushing 40 barges on the Mississippi River and adjoining tributaries.
The Chad Pregracke is a sister to the Loree Eckstein and Rick Calhoun, which were delivered in August 2015 and February 2016, respectively. The vessel class was one of WorkBoat’s Significant Boats of 2015. “Large horsepower, new construction is rare,” John Paul Eckstein, president and CEO of Marquette, said during a christening ceremony for the Rick Calhoun last year in New Orleans.
Capacities include 136,000 gals. of fuel; 31,500 gals. potable water; and 1,600 gals. lube oil.
Significant supplementary equipment includes a Furuno electronics suite, deck winches from Patterson (BC-40) and Nabrico (DF156-60-11), CO2 fire suppression system from Herbert Hiller, fire alarm system from Honeywell’s Fire Lite (MS-4) and Carrier air conditioner.
The Chad Pregracke, which has a steering system by EMI, employs two John Deere-powered gensets, sparking 222 kW of electrical power each.
Gulf Island Shipyards, a division of Gulf Island Fabrication Inc., includes four shipyards located along the Gulf Coast. Gulf Island Shipyards specializes in vessel repair, new construction, major conversions, and steel fabrication. The shipyards feature seven drydocks and state-of-the art steel processing equipment.
