50 September 23, 1998

More Power, Less Weight for Family Boat

In a tradition as old as the industry, Mike McMillan took over his dad's fish boat several years ago. Mike, who fishes sword fish, shrimp and crab with the 68-foot "Libra", has permits that take him from his base at Crescent City down along the California coast and north to Oregon and Washington. The steel-hulled "Libra", a former Gulf shrimper, had been in the family for twenty years, when a fire destroyed the Cat D343 main engine and part of the house earlier this year. When Mike went shopping for a new engine he found that Cummins' new N14 with its 855 cubic inch displacement offered 480 hp compared to his earlier engine's 365 hp from about 800 cubic inches. In addition the new engine at about 2800 pounds would be around 1000 pounds lighter and cost less money.

Mike is looking forward to the increased power for towing the double rigged pair of 80s (80-feet on the foot rope) that he uses on shrimp with 7X9-foot doors. "We only had to change two engine mounts and we were able to use the same 6:1 Twin disc 514 gear after we rebuilt it and changed the bell housing," he explains of the ease with which the repower was carried out, "And we repitched the 62-inch wheel from 45 up to 50 degrees."

In addition to the increased power, Mike is hoping for some fuel savings from the newer more modern engine. He has retained the Cummins 4B 30 kW gen set that escaped fire damage. When the refurbished "Libra" puts to sea it will also have an extensive rebuild to the main house and galley. The foamed and glassed hold has been cleaned up and will be ready for its capacity of 70,000 pounds of shrimp. Mike will be in the wheelhouse feeling the confidence of a new engine of which he says, with satisfaction, "It should out last me."

For more information on the "Libra" her engine or fishery contact:

Mike McMillan
Gasquet, Calif.
Phone: 707 457-3477

For more information on the N14-M contact:

Tom O'Conner
Marine Sales
Cummins West, Inc.
1601 Aurora Ave.
San Leandro, Calif 94577
Phone: 510 351-6101 Fax: 510 352-3925

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