286
January 2005

Mary Grace First Crew Boat From Conrad Aluminum

Ready to leave Port Fourchon for the off shore rigs.

In her first weeks of operation, the most recent addition to Diamond Services black-hulled fleet of crew boats, was working out of Port Fourchon, Louisiana. Diamond’s senior Capt. Tracy Frederick was in command of the DP-1 boat. Asking a visitor to remove his shoes before walking on the immaculate non-skid maroon-red wheelhouse floor, he enthused, "This is a lot of boat to handle. When I have to put a man up on production platform and I have to set the stern right alongside, but that is where these jets are so good. The maneuverability is so fast and accurate, there is no delay because the gear is always turning and I just use the bucket and throttle. On the wheel there is only about a quarter turn and you have full thrust to port or starboard. You can drive it like a car. It’s beautiful man!"

Capt. Tracy Frederick maneuvers from the aft controls.

Tracy makes it sound easy but when you look out from his rear controls over more than 130-feet of boat between there and the stern you realize that he is maybe not taking enough credit for his own skills. The jets, that Tracy is referring to are four Hamilton HM-721 waterjets powered by four Cummins KTA38-M2 mains producing 1350 HP each at 1900 RPM and turning through ZF 2550 marine gears. It is a much proven engine package about which Tracy is equally enthusiastic having worked with the same engines on Diamond Services’ six-year old Mr. Steven.

Design credits on the boat go to A.K. Suda of New Orleans with construction at the new Conrad Aluminum, LLC yard in Amelia near Morgan City Louisiana. In fact the boat carries the yard’s 001 builder’s plate. The 180x32x14.6-foot boat also carries 39,000 gallons of fuel, 68,000 gallons of water and up to 300 tons of freight on her 112x26-foot cargo deck. Seating is provided for 70 passengers in the main deck cabin and accommodation for up to nine crew members is in the hull.

The forward helm.

In addition to its dynamic positioning system and full suite of electronics, Tracy is pleased with the Fanbeam Laser Radar 4.1 station keeping system that takes reflected signals from a rig and interfaces with the DP system to maintain real space positioning, "Last night I was using the Fanbeam in a 13 knot wind under the rig. It takes bearings off the rig and keeps us within one foot on our position. It’s all kind of new to me," He smiles, "So I’m not sure how it works, but it works, great."

Located in the vessel’s hull, the galley and mess area continue the maroon and white color scheme from the wheelhouse. Aft of this crew staterooms line the companionway. At the end a watertight door opens on a laundry/utility room. Aft of that the boat’s Twin Cummins 6CTA8.3-DM gensets producing 125kw of electricity each provide ship’s service power, some of which will power an electric, 100-hp bowthruster from Thrustmaster. The boat has two 1,000-gpm fire monitors supplied by a pump driven off an independent Cummins 6CTA8.3 engine. The vessel is classed ABS Loadline and USCG certified Subchapter T.

Chief Engineer Jerry Reynolds amidst his four Cummins KTA38-M2 mains
producing a combined 5400 HP.

The engine room is well laid out with good access to all four main engines. Chief Engineer Jerry Reynolds has been six years with Diamond Services and is happy with the company and Port Captain Kenny Guidry for their support while he worked up from deck hand. He is also happy with his engine room, "I’ve worked all the engine makes and you don’t have the mechanics coming out to the boat as often with these," he maintains.

Jerry works a regular four weeks on and two weeks off. Tracy often puts in more time than that, saying, "When I’m on a beautiful boat like this it is my second home."

That may explain the reason that a new deck-hand being shown around the vessel is told, "This boat is named the Mary Grace but really it could be the Tracy Grace."

Mike Swiber
Project Manager
Diamond Services
(A Carline Company)
P.O. Box 1286
Morgan City, L.A. 70381-1286
Phone: 1 800 879 1162 or (985) 631 2187
Fax: (985) 631 0377
e-mail: swiber@teche.net

A. K. Suda, Inc.
3004 19th Street,
Metairie, LA 70002;
Phone (504) 835-1500
E-mail: info@aksuda.com

A.J. Blanchard
Conrad Aluminum L.L.C.
PO Box 790
9752 Hwy. 182 E.
Morgan City, LA 70381-0790
Phone: 985 631 2395

Red Cunningham
Marine Territory Sales Manager
Cummins Mid-South
P.O. Box 1229
Hwy. 90 East
Amelia, LA 70340
U.S.A.
Phone: 985 631 4698
Fax: 985 631 0081
E-Mail: David.S.Cunningham@Cummins.com

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