459 December 2007

Rigdon Continues With Ten Boat Program

The fourth boat, Slam Dunk, when still at Bollinger’s Lockport facility. In this shot the fixed open central prop can be seen by the two z-drives on either side. These z-drives, together with two bow thrusters, are part of the vessel’s DP2 redundancy.

On December seventh, 2007 the fourth in a ten boat series of GPA-654 class diesel-electric platform supply vessels for Rigdon Marine, the Slam Dunk, was delivered alongside Bollinger’s facility in Port Fourchon. At the same time the fifth and sixth of the series were taking shpae at Bollinger’s Lockport Louisiana facility on Bayou Lafourche. While at the same time the second and third in the series were working out of Port Fourchon a few miles down the road. See Cummins Hotips#438 for the release on the first of these vessels, First And Ten, which is currently working in Mexico.

The 54-foot beam on the GPA-640 class PSV St. Louis contrasts with the narrower 46-foot beam on the GPA-654 class Triple Play in this image of the two vessels at Port Fouchon’s Seaport Terminal.

At 190 by 46 feet these are smaller than the 210 by 54-foot 640 class PSVs. (see Hotips#382) Perhaps their most distinguishing features are that the Cummins diesel engines and generators are set on the main deck level and the system operates with direct current Silicon Control Rectified current rather than the alternating current on the 210-foot boats.

Oiler Terrence Wagner with stands in front of the GPA-654 class Double Eagle’s two Cummins KTA50 powered generators. The 410 kW KTA19-powered gen set to the right of the photo is primarily used for port requirements but can be included in the flexible propulsion system.

One of the two Cummins KTA50-powered 1235 kW generators onboard the GPA-654 class 195-foot Double Eagle.

A large window provides good visibility to the main deck engine space from the engineers control room. All of the monitor screens can be replicated in the wheelhouse but the engines are stopped and started in the engine room.

Chief Engineer John Angelle serves some of his excellent chicken gumbo to Second Engineer Craig Wilson onboard the 195-foot Double Eagle. The boat is typically crewed by two captains, one mate, two Abs, two riggers, two licensed engineers and one or two oilers. The crew takes turns in the galley.

Capt. Bill Barlow has 20 years in the wheelhouse and prior to that taught sailing in Texas. Four of the many buttons in front of him allow control selection between Manual, Dynamic Positioning, Auto Pilot or Integrated Joy Stick. He finds this latter mode useful for maneuvering in crowded areas like Port Fourchon. Asked about the stability effect of having the engines above the waterline on the main deck, he replied, “As for vessel handling its just not an issue. We simply ballast to correct for them but they are relatively light compared to the vessel’s cargo capacity of about 1100 tons which is also similar to the boat’s total actual weight.”

Capt. Bill Bower, at the aft controls, commented that, “The diesel electric power means more to the DP system that it does to me. The DP on these boats will hold the boat within a foot or two and allow us to work in seas on the bow up to about
ten feet.”

For more information:

Jim Whitley
Director of Technical Services
Rigdon Marine
100 James Drive, Suite 250
St. Rose, LA 70087
Phone: 504 472 5375 ex. 2025
Fax: 504 472 5379
Mobile: 228 238 0822
E-mail: jwhitley@rigdonmarine.com
Web: www.rigdonmarine.com

Calvin Klotz
Cummins Mid-South, Inc.
V-P Marine Division
Cummins Mid-South
110 E.Airline Highway
Kenner, LA 70062
U.S.A.
Phone: 504 468 3535
Fax: 504 465 3408
E-Mail: Calvin.B.Klotz@Cummins.com

All photos by Alan Haig-Brown

500-476, 475-451, 450-426, 425-401, 400-376
375-351, 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