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December 21, 2001 See also #87

Alabama Pushboat for Louisiana Operator

Veteran towboater Autry Dufrene of Belle Chasse Louisiana is having a another boat built at the LaForce Shipyard in Bayou LaBatre Alabama. Power for the new boat will be provided by a pair of Cummins 12-cylinder KTA38 MO engines developing 800 HP each. The 1600 HP pushboat carries the same 74x28x10 foot dimensions as Dufrene’s last boat from the LaForce yard. (See Cummins Hotips#87 from September 1999) It also incorporates the "semi-camber" design from the keel to the chine on the underside of the aft hull. "It keeps the plate rounded to give extra strength and stop the vibration," explains Dufrene who operates his fleet under the name American Tugs, Inc.

The new boat is heavy built with 3/4-inch steel on the bottom and one-inch plate on the head log and transom. The wheelhouse will provide a 31-foot eye-level elevation. Electrical power will be provided by a pair of 60 Kw gen sets powered by Cummins six B series engines. An Owens Kleen Tank will handle sewage. A pair of Nabrico 40-ton winches will be mounted on the foredeck for the face wires.

This is Dufrene's third boat with the KTA38 main engines. He repowered a boat with a pair of the engines a little over a year ago and has been happy with their performance. On the new boat the engines will be linked to Twin Disc540 gears with a 6:1 ratio turning 74-inch open propellers through six-inch stainless steel shafts. Scheduled for a January 2002 delivery, the new boat will be Christened in the Biblical tradition of Dufrene’s other boats with the name John 3:16. It will be followed by a sister ship, currently under construction, from the LaForce yard in March of 2002. The LaForce yard is diversified, building both fish boats and work boats. A large covered building facility has recently been added to facilitate projects such as the aluminum crew boat currently under construction.

For more information:

Angela Koretzky
or Autry Dufrene
American Tugs, Inc.
102 Victoria Drive
Belle Chasse, LA 70037
Phone: 504 368-7907 Fax: 504 393-7657
E-mail: andyjesus@aol.com

Raymond LaForce
LaForce Shipyards, Inc.
Bayou LaBatre, Alabama
Phone: 251 824-2152 Fax: 251 824-7742

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

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