Dravo SteelShip Delivers The M / V P.N. Ellis For Bunkering Service On the Lower Mississippi

Dravo SteelShip Corporation, Pine Bluff, Ark., a subsidiary of Dravo Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., has announced delivery of the M/V P.N. Ellis to Koch-Ellis Marine Contractors of Westwego, La.

According to Harry J. Collins, president of Koch-Ellis, the new vessel will be operated in bunkering service on the Lower Mississippi River.

The P.N. Ellis is a standard SteelShip 56 design measuring 56 feet long by 20 feet wide by 7.5 feet deep. The hull is divided into seven watertight compartments, and has capacity for 11,000 gallons of fuel, 2,000 gallons of wash water, 1,600 gallons of waste, 1,100 gallons of potable water, and 200 gallons of lube oil. The fuel fills and vents are in a central location with a fuel spill containment.

The hull is protected with rubber corners, and the pushknees and headlog are faced with Johnson Rubber towknee material.

The SteelShip 56 standard superstructure has been modified to provide inside ladders, watertight doors and portlights on the main deck for coastal operation. A double-plated, 24-inch-high bulwark extends around the perimeter of the hull. Padeyes for tire fenders were provided in addition to the heavy D-shaped steel rubrails standard on SteelShips. The P.N. Ellis has quarters for six men in two cabins, with full electric galley, lounge area, and complete live-aboard facilities.

The vessel is powered by twin General Motors Detroit Diesel 16V71N engines with Twin Disc MG-521, 5.17:1 reduction gears.

It also has two General Motors 3-71 generator sets. The main engines and generators were supplied by Kennedy Engine Company of Biloxi, Miss. The running gear consists of 5-inch-diameter steel shafts, with nickel chrome boron sleeves turning in Johnson Demountable stern tube and strut bearings with Kahlenberg stainless- steel, heavy-duty, four-blade, 60-inch-diameter by 48-inch-pitch propellers.

The P.N. Ellis has Westinghouse Air Brake engine controls and WABCO follow-up steering controls over SteelShip's standard hydraulic steering system. The vessel has two main and four flanking rudders with independent steering systems. As is standard on all SteelShip vessels, the lubrication for the thrust bearings and other steering equipment is piped to a central location in the engine room for quick and easy servicing.

The rudder stocks have nickel chrome boron sleeves turning in nylon bearings on the lower end, and have lubricated cast-iron bearings on the upper end.

A SteelShip standard monitoring panel with monitors for low water level, low lube oil level, high bilge water level, high water temperature, low oil pressure, and other warnings of unusual operating conditions was installed. The panel has a visual signal and audible alarm to alert the operator before machinery damage can occur.

The P.N. Ellis is equipped with two searchlights, Perko running lights, electric heating and airconditioning, quartz deck lights, Nabrico electric over hydraulic deck winches, and many other standard features. Some special equipment for the bunkering operation consisted of a fuel transfer system to provide fuel for the diesel engines on the bunkering barges and air connections on the foredeck to service the air starting requirement for the pump engines on the bunkering barges.

In addition to the production pushboats, ocean tugs and barges which are on c o n t r a c t , Dravo SteelShip is building four stock standard SteelShip pushboats. All of the stock boats are scheduled for completion with delivery ranging at present from 60 to 120 days, depending upon machinery availability.

For more information about any SteelShip or AlumaShip vessel, write Dravo SteelShip Corporation, Edward D. Fry, Vice President/ General Manager, Route 4, Box 167, Pine Bluff, Ark. 71602.

Maritime Reporter Magazine, page 37, Aug 1978

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Maritime Reporter

First published in 1881 Maritime Reporter is the world's largest audited circulation publication serving the global maritime industry.