74 May 20, 1999

Tidewater Building Two 145-foot Crew Boats at Swift Ships

Working from a proven Swiftship design with modifications to meet their particular needs, Tidewater Marine have ordered a pair of 145x26-foot crew boats from Swiftship in Morgan City Louisiana. (See Cummins Hotips#12) With space for 150 passenger and accommodation for up to nine crew, the boats will also be capable of carrying 16,000 U.S. gallons of fuel, 19,500 gallons of fresh water, 375 gallons of lube oil and 275 gallons of waste oil. An additional 6600 gallons of ballast tankage is included. Deck cargo capacities will be approximately 150 tons.

Power for the boats will be provided by five 12-cylinder Cummins KTA38 M2 engines. Four of the engines, rated 1350 HP at 1950 RPM, will drive through Reintjes WAF 430/1SC 2.5:1 gears with propellers designed for maximum speed at designated deadweight. The two outboard engines will be set about one length aft of the two inboard engines with a similar configuration being reflected in the prop arrangement. Rudders will be installed on the two outboard engines only. Following a proven Swiftship application, the fifth KTA38 M2 engine, delivering 1200 HP at 1800 RPM, will be mounted midships and aft of the main engine compartment and coupled through a Reintjes WAF 430/1SC 1.5:1 gear to a Hamilton 571 boost water jet. In addition to allowing a greater pitch on the props, the single jet without steering can move the boat on its own in shallow water or heavy drift wood conditions. This will be an added bonus to the vessels' charterers in waters with prop punishing drift wood and shoals.

Top speed for the new boats is anticipated to be 28 knots light and 25 knots with 100 LT DWT. Delivery of the first of the two 6600 HP crew boats is scheduled for August 1999 with the second to follow in October.

For more information on these boats contact:

Anthony "Tony" Wise
Phone: 504 568-1010
Project Manager e-mail: twise@tdw.com

Tidewater Marine Service, Inc.
1440 Canal St.
New Orleans, LA. 70112

For more information on the Cummins engines contact:

Calvin Klotz Phone: 504 468-3535
Indl. & Marine Sales Mgr. Fax: 504 465-3408
Cummins Mid-South Inc.
Kenner, LA

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