Page 17: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 1998)

any fore or aft motion. "This process requires an enor- mous amount of power, especially when we're battling high winds, waves and currents," Mr. Pescay said. Another power option for crewboats is to install twin engines with a bow thruster, but, according to Mr. Pescay, a quad- screw design is more efficient. "It's much easier to walk a boat with four engines. When done with two engines you run the risk of the boat pivoting left or right.

Also, if you're out at sea and one of the engines breaks down, you can return to shore faster with three engines than with one." Mr.

Pescay adds that a quad-screw vessel is more cost effective on a price-per-horsepower basis, when compared to two high horsepower engines and a bow thruster.

Mr. Pescay specified four

Caterpillar 3412 engines from

Louisiana Power systems, Belle

Chasse, La, for each new vessel.

Each engine is rated 825 bhp @ 2,100 rpm and powers a Twin Disc

MG 5202 marine gear with a 2:48:1 ratio turning a four blade,

Nibrol 42 in. by 38 in. HyTorq pro- peller. Each boat has a fuel capac- ity of 10,000 gallons. This fuel and capacity can be used to either pump to the rigs or refuel the oats.

Lasting Power

Mr. Pescay reported that the on-demand horsepower during cargo unloading has been very good with all the boats, even dur- ing rough weather or while unloading pipe, which can take several hours. All of the vessels maintain high speeds when load- "ng and unloading. Each 135-ft. 5-m) vessel is capable of hauling pproximately 190 tons at 20-21 nots and can reach a maximum peed of 26 knots unloaded. "There is at least one time I can ecall when we won a major bid rom an oil company because we ffered the highest capacities at he highest speeds - not just ecause of the price," Mr. Pescay aid. For the same job, competi- ors only offered approximately 90 ons at 14-18 knots. Crewboats nc. still has a contract with the ompany today.

As the oil trend continues, rewboats Inc. is continuing to uild seven, 152-ft. (50-m) boats, hich will bring its fleet to 36 ves- ls — 14 large offshore vessels and small crewboats. pril, 1998

Benthos Receives Major

Order for ROV System

Benthos, Inc. has received a $900,000 order from Canyon

Offshore, Inc. for an upgraded ver- sion of the company's Openframe

Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) system. The new system, dubbed

Openframe Manta, will be used for a variety of underwater inspec- tions and light-duty work tasks.

This upgraded version will be spe- cially modified to extend its depth capability to 3,281 ft. (1,000 m) and will be supplemented by a top- side control van as well as a com- plete launch and recovery system.

Production is underway and deliv- ery is scheduled for this summer.

Innovative Technology for the Workboat Industry

Coupler systems for articulated tug / barges

Heavy duty towing and anchor handling winches

Bow winches for escort service

Chain handlers, windlasses, capstans, mooring systems

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