Page 40: of Marine News Magazine (November 2024)

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Vessels

ACBL Mariner approximately 11,000 HP. The engines are paired with two Reintjes WAF 6755 reduction gears from Karl Senner,

LLC, while generator power comes from three Caterpil- lar 275-kilowatt (kW) generators. The towboat is out? tted with CT Marine CT28-SL nozzles housing 124-inch di- ameter stainless-steel, ? ve-blade ? xed pitch propellers (the industry’s largest) and features Twin-DIFF ? anking and steering rudder systems.

“To have this much horsepower with only two engines

ACBL ACBL and still be able to push the largest tows in the industry,

Jeffersonville, Ind. based American Commercial Barge that’s a huge advantage because it brings the operational

Line (ACBL) is gearing up to welcome its new ? agship, the cost down,” said Randy Chamness, ACBL’s vice president mighty 11,000-horsepower (HP) towboat ACBL Mariner. of vessel operations. “In an era where there’s intense focus

The vessel will be christened during a ceremony in New on cost, the unitized cost is looked at much differently.

Orleans this November. And when you look at it at cost per ton mile and cost per

Designed by Portland, Maine-based CT Marine and operating hour, there’s no vessel in the industry that will built by Belle Chasse, La. shipyard C&C Marine and Re- be able to match what this boat will be able to produce for pair, the twin-screw towboat measures 200 feet long, with what it’s going to cost to operate.” 54-foot beam and 11-foot operating draft. Upon entry into service, the newbuild will operate on

The new towboat adds considerable pushing power to ACBL’s mainline network with the capability to push ap- the ACBL ? eet, running on two Louisiana CAT-supplied proximately 75,000 tons of cargo. It will push up to 46 load-

Caterpillar C280-12 main engines that together produce ed barges southbound and 56 barges northbound, and later 40 | MN November 2024