Mississippi Marine Begins Offshore Boat Construction

Mississippi Marine Towboat Corporation, Greenville, Miss., an established builder of inland river towboats and barges, has begun constructing boats for the offshore industry.

Currently under construction is a 112-footlong by 26-foot-beam offshore utility boat.

The vessel was designed by the naval architectural and marine engineering firm of van Bentem & Associates Inc., Ocean Springs, Miss. The hull depth is 11 feet 2 inches, and is to be powered by a pair of 16V71 Detroit Diesel engines with MG 527 Twin Disc reduction gears and two 4-71 50-kw generators.

MMTC's yard, located on the slack-water harbor at Greenville, is equipped to handle boats of this size and larger. Equipment includes a 2,500-ton drydock measuring 218 feet by 68 feet, a 200-foot wet dock, three 200-foot construction ways, a 35-ton floating crane, a 35-ton mobile crane, a 10-ton mobile crane, a 10-ton overhead crane, and a 200- foot by 70-foot enclosed fabrication shop equipped with a 10-ton crane.

MMTC's president John Nichols gave this reason for diversification: "When you're an established builder of inland river towboats and barges, it's a natural step to build for the offshore market, especially when you have the equipment and staff to handle the job." Mississippi Marine has already produced 10 towboats in the 4,000-5,600-hp class since 1969, in addition to numerous smaller towboats (in the 2,200 and 800-hp class). They have also built drydocks, tank barges, deck barges and floating crane barges as well.

In anticipation of the continued demand for offshore vessels such as the 112-foot utility boat currently under construction, MMTC will lay out the keel for a second such boat at the end of this year.

For additional information on the yard operations, write to John Nichols, Mississippi Marine Towboat Corporation, P.O. Box 539, Greenville, Miss. 38701.

Maritime Reporter Magazine, page 23, Dec 1977

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