124
Nov. 28, 2000

Crescent City Fishermen Repower For Savings

Fishermen in Northern California are starting a trend in repowering to the Cummins N14 engine. With three of the IMO emissions compliant engines already installed in combination boats and one or two more on order, word on the docks is that this is the way to go. Mike McMillian, of Gaski near Crescent City, started it when he traded a competitor’s four-cycle engine for the N14 on his 68x20-foot boat the "Libra" in November 1998. In addition to crabbing and drift netting for swordfish, Mike works twin rigged 80-foot shrimp trawls. The 855 cubic inch or 14 litre six cylinder N14 has a 480 HP heavy duty rating at 1800 RPM. The four cycle engine that it replaced was rated at only 365 HP, yet Mike says they both burn "about the same amount of fuel" although the new engine allows him to maintain a two-knot speed towing the two nets at only 1500 to 1600 RPM where as his previous engine would be turning 1700 for the same load. With around 120 days on shrimp each year this adds up to significant savings.

Mike chose the Cummins over other engines for its initial economy and its good fit with his existing Twin Disc marine gear. As the engine is physically a good bit smaller than the one he replaced, he has gained space in the engine room of his Freeport Texas-built Gulf-style boat. While keeping the same gear ratio, the more powerful engine allowed him to add seven inches of pitch to the propeller so that the boat is now pushed by a 62x52-inch prop.

Mike’s success with the N14 helped Tom Timmer, owner operator of the 60x18-foot "Bountiful" to choose the same engine for his boat. Tom was already familiar with Cummins having run a Cummins 855, the N14's predecessor, for 15 years in his other boat. He took a 12-cylinder two-cycle engine out of the "Bountiful" in favour of the N14 several months ago. "It was either rebuild the old engine or buy a new one," he says, "In California we have a North Coast Air Quality program that offers grant money if you repower to reduce emissions by 30 per cent or more. The Cummins engine qualified with an official rating of 50 percent reduced emissions, but I actually think it is more like 70 or 80 percent by the time you factor in fuel savings."

Tom fishes albacore, crab and sword fish. On a typical day trolling jigs for albacore, with the main turning at 850 RPM and an auxiliary powering a 40 Kw gen set, he is burning only about 130 gallons of fuel compared to 175 gallons with the old engine. To maintain the same 5.5-knot trolling speed with the old engine required 1000 RPM. The old 12-cylinder was rated at 400 HP while the new six-cylinder is delivering 440 HP at its continuous rating. The new engine allowed him to add two inches to the diameter and an inch to the pitch of the propeller for a two-knot increase in cruising speed.

These improvements have prompted at least one other Crescent City fisherman to order an N14 for his boat and others are considering the move.

For further information contact:

Mike McMillian
F/V Libra
Crescent City, Calif.
phone: 707 457-3477

or:

Tom Timmer
F/V Bountiful
Crescent City, Calif.
phone: 707 464-2028

or:

Jerry Hemmingsen
Mor-Jon Inc. Crescent City, Calif.
phone: 707 464-4131
E-mail: morjon@msn.com

500-476, 475-451, 450-426, 425-401, 400-376
375-351, 350-326, 325-301, 300-276, 275-251, 250-226, 225-201
200-176, 175-151, 150-126, 125-101, 100-76, 75-51, 50-26, 25-0