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October 13, 2001

Working Shallow Draft In the Gulf of Mexico

Rodriguez Boat Builders, of Bayou LaBatre, Alabama, will deliver one more of their popular lugger tugs to Central Boat Rental of Morgan City Louisiana at the end October. Designed for the specialized tasks of supporting shallow water oil wells in the Gulf of Mexico they are as much supply boat as tug. Joe Rodriguez explains that the 65 by 24-foot boat can work in water as shallow as five feet. While it features a model bow for open water work, it is designed to push a supply barge as well as to tow rigs and equipment from place to place. It also can transport liquids with tankage for 9,000 gallons of fuel and 12,000 gallons on potable water.

Propulsion for the new boat, the Miss KerriLyn, is provided by a pair of Cummins N14 engines rated for 480 HP each at 1800 RPM. The engines turn into Twin Disc 516 gears with 5.05:1 ratios and turning four-blade 56 by 40-inch propellers on five-inch stainless steel shafts. The props are supplied by Padget Swan out of Florida while the engines are supplied by Cummins Alabama out of Mobile.

This is the second boat that Central Boat Rentals has ordered for their Morgan City operation from Rodriguez. Vice President of the family owned firm, Mike Patterson, says that they have two more Rodriguez boats that have been purchased from other operators. The company operates out of Morgan City and several other Gulf Coast ports, explains Vice-President of operations Gary Gaudet. Company account representative Derald Wardway is available for further information on fleet capabilities.

For More information and photos on launch contact:

Mike Patterson
President, Central Boat Rentals
Morgan City, Louisiana
Phone: 985 384-8200 Fax: 985 384-8545
E-mail: Mike@Centralboat.com

The yard can supply a general arrangement drawing:

Joey Rodriguez Jr.
President
Rodriguez Boat Builders
PO Box 842
Bayou La Batre, Alabama 36509
Phone: 334 824-4067 Fax: 334 824-4074
E-Mail: joserodrig@aol.com

Larry Neff
V/P Marine Marketing
Cummins Alabama Inc.
3422 Georgia Pacific Ave.
Moblie, AL 36617
Phone: 334 452-6426 Fax: 334 473-6657

525-501, 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