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?When I built the first tug, I understood every part in it and why it was there. Now there?s so much electronic plug-and-play with components that are not understand- able to anyone other than a specialist. It?s not a healthy thing. It can render a crew helpless when they know if something goes wrong they won?t be able to deal with it. Since the engine is such a critical piece, we wanted to ensure it was a purely mechanical item that our crews would have the capability to service.? In addition to the reliability from a maintenance stand- point, Smith Maritime found the Mitsubishi on the Elsbeth II to be reliable from an overall performance per- spective as well. When the 90-foot Elsbeth III came due for a repower in 2008, Smith again turned to Laborde to purchase three 12-cylinder, Mitsubishi S12R-Y1MPTA engines.?The Mitsubishi engines have been smooth running and economical,? said Smith. ?With the design of anything, you have to give some- thing to get something. There is a marvelous balance between the strength of the engine and the torque values and correct RPMs for the transmissions. The Mitsubishi torque values require a reduction gear that is practical, so the torque values match up very well with the require- ments of the propeller. That means more efficient propul- sion, and better fuel efficiency as well.? Smith also noted the engine design?s effect on durability and maneuverability. ?The relationship between the mass and strength of the Mitsubishi is excellent,? he said. ?If they built them lighter and smaller, you?d run into main- tenance issues, but they are built to handle the load. They also are incredibly responsive in terms of acceleration and engine response time. 66MNNovember 2011Smith Maritime is looking into repowering the Rhea in the near future, and Smith says that because of the lack of maintenance issues and reliability he?s experienced with Mitsubishi (right) thus far, they will likely employ Mitsubishi engines again.MN#11 (66-81):MN 2011 Layouts 10/28/2011 10:52 AM Page 66