Kort Nozzles in the Mississippi

When Carline Management ordered a new 72X28-foot towboat from New Orleans' Kody Shipyard they were looking for a compact and efficient vessel with lots of thrust. With a 28.5-inch eye level in the third level wheelhouse, the "C.S.S. Virginia" is the eleventh vessel in the Louisiana company's operation. Starting with 5/8-inch bottom and 3/8 side plate on a well proven hull design, they added a pair of Cummins KTA38 MO engines. Producing a combined 1700 hp, they drive through Twin Disc's new 5301 6.39:1 gears onto seven-inch shafts that swell to eight inches with a hard chrome coating as they enter the Thordon bearings. But it is at the end of the shaft that they made their commitment on maximized thrust, with a pair of 72-inch nozzles encircling the 71X70-inch wheels from Sound Propeller in Seattle.

"We went with the Type 37 Kort nozzle," explains Carline's operations manager Clay Harmon, "that is the type that gives you a lot of backing power compared with the Type 19 that has a sharper taper on the back end that cuts the water flow over the prop in reverse."

The boat is also equipped with a Flo-Scan fuel monitoring system. Harmon notes that on sea trials, when pushing light barges against the current, they were able to gain significant fuel savings by cutting back 80 RPM with no loss in speed.

The new pusher tug is equipped with four flanking and two steering rudders. All six rudders are freehanging with no shoe at the bottom so that they can be removed for repair while the vessel is still in the water.

Carline Management operates three barge fleets on the Mississippi above New Orleans at Miles 127, 183 and 204. The ""C.S.S. Virginia" is the eleventh boat in the company's operations and will be assigned to line haul work between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. For making up to her tows she is equipped with a pair of 40-ton Patterson electric winches. For navigation she has a twin radar backed by a pair of Xenon spot lights. The new boat can sleep eight but will operate with a crew of six.

This is the first new build for Kody Shipyards, who have been in operation under the ownership of Clyde Noquin, as a repair yard for the past eight years.

Photos of the new boat are available from:

Clyde Naquin
President
Kody Shipyards
New Orleans Louisiana
Phone: (504) 364-1176 Fax: (504) 364-1712

Additional information from:

Clay Harmon
Carline Management
7268 Hwy.75
Geismar, LA 70734 U.S.A.
Phone: (504) 473-4310 Fax: (504) 346-5596

Calvin Klotz
Marine Sales
Cummins Mid-South Inc.
110 E. Airline Highway
Kenner, LA 70062
Phone: (504) 465-3403 Fax: (504) 465-3408

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