Bouchard Transportation Co. Inc. christened its latest Articulated Tug Barge (ATB) unit today in New Orleans. The ATB, part of Bouchard’s major expansion program, is made up of the 150'x50', 10,000-hp tug Donna J. Bouchard and the 628'5"x91'x47' tank barge B No. 272. Designed by Guarino & Cox, Covington, La., the barge has a DWT of 35,800 LT and a cargo capacity of 255,000 bbls. of petroleum products.
The new ATB, built at Pascagoula, Miss.-based VT Halter Marine, will be hauling product for Exxon Mobile/SeaRiver Maritime, a frequent charterer of Bouchard’s equipment.
“Bouchard enjoys a long relationship with Halter that goes back some 50 years, and the relationship with SeaRiver is just as strong,” Morton S. Bouchard III said during christening ceremonies on the Crescent City’s Riverfront. He added that all three companies, at their core, are safety conscious. “We practice safety and I’m proud of that.”
“What I originally thought was a barge is really quite a ship,” SeaRiver’s Jim Muschalik told those in attendance. He went on to commend the VT Halter and Bouchard teams for their work on the project.
Barge B. No. 272 is classed ABS A1 Oil Tank Barge, Circle E, UWILD, SH, SHCM, CPS and USCG certified Oil Tank Barge Grade “B” and lower cargo authority for Jones Act trade. It features three John Deere 300-kW main generators and a 90-kW John Deere auxiliary unit. There are twin ballast water treatment systems from Hyde Guardian and fire detection and fire extinguishing systems from Hiller.
The Donna J. Bouchard is a 10,000-hp twin screw ATB tug and is classed by ABS as an A1 Towing Vessel, Dual Mode ATB, USCG Subchapter M and is equipped with an Intercon coupler system. The new ATB has a 33'x10' loaded draft.
