538 February 2009
Updating the Pusher Design
The medium sized pusher towboat is a stable of the US Inland waterways marine transport. Built to work comfortably in the confines of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway they must also have enough power to handle the distances and currents of the Mississippi.
Recently some owners have built tugs to updated deigns. Kirby Marine has had a series of boats built at Raymond and Associates LLC shipyard in Bayou LaBatre Alabama. (see Hotips#446).
Cummins-powered boats for Florida Marine
Boat # |
Hull # |
Vessel Name |
Engines |
26 |
951 |
Richard Coen |
Cummins QSK 38 |
27 |
952 |
Landon York |
Cummins QSK 38 |
28 |
953 |
Capt. Jerry Wiltz |
Cummins QSK 38 |
29 |
954 |
Marshall Barnes |
Cummins QSK 38 |
30 |
955 |
Randy Trosclair |
Cummins QSK 38 |
31 |
982 |
Bill Seymour |
Cummins QSK 38 |
32 |
983 |
Harvey Sbisa |
Cummins QSK 38 |
33 |
984 |
Capt. Dean |
Cummins QSK 38 |
34 |
985 |
Capt. C.H. Guidry |
Cummins QSK 38 |
35 |
986 |
Blake Boyd |
Cummins QSK 38 |
Florida Marine also had a series of new towboats built. These continue to be delivered from Eastern Shipbuilding. Ten of these have been or will be launched each with a pair of Cummins QSK38 main engines rated for 1300 hp (970 kw) continuous duty each at 1800 RPM.
In December 2008 I took the attached photos on the Gulf Intracoastal Walterway at Houma Louisiana of two of the progressive designs. Kirby’s 76 by 35-foot Jeff Montgomery seen pushing a string of their barges is powered by a pair of Tier 2 compliant Cummins K-38M engines delivering 850 hp each at 1800 RPM. Florida Marine’s Capt. Jerry Wiltz delivered from Eastern Shipbuilding in mid-2008 is powered by a pair of Cummins Tier 2 compliant QSK38-M mains each delivering 1300 hp continuous.
For more information on the Florida Marine engines:
Al E. Heisler
Cummins Mid-South, Inc.
Kenner LA 70062
USA
Phone: 504 465 3406
Mobile: 504 343 8372
E-mail: al.heisler@cummins.com
For more on the Kirby engines:
Jay Rowan
Marine Sales
Cummins Southern Plains
7045 N. Loop 610 East
Houston, TX 77028
Phone: 713 679 2220
Fax: 713 679 7774
E-mail: jay.w.rowan@cummins.com
575-551
550-526, 525-501, 500-476, 475-451, 450-426, 425-401, 400-376
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
