Title XI Sought For 20 Barges And 3 Towboats

Radcliff Materials Inc., 61 St.

Joseph Street, Mobile, Ala., has applied for a Title XI guarantee to aid in financing 20 steel deck barges, and three twin-screw towboats.

The 200-foot-long barges are currently under construction at Twin City Shipyard, St. Paul, Minn. The 850-horsepower towboats are being built at Dravo SteelShip Corp., Pine Bluff, Ark.

All vessels are expected to be delivered by August 1980, and will be operated on the Mississippi River.

The Title XI guarantee will cover a total of $8,297,000 compensating $5,343,500, or 87i/2 percent, of the estimated actual cost of the barges and $2,953,500, or 75 percent, of the estimated actual cost of the towboats.

ern crew/supply boat are determined by her ton-mile-hour factor when heavily loaded, in combination with high absolute speed for hotshot or personnel runs. Greater speed becomes ever more important as rigs are built farther o f f s h o r e , Mr. Sachse explains.

Vessels must be able to complete a trip in 12 hours, according to U.S. Coast Guard regulations, or carry a second skipper, adding greatly to operating expense.

The design cruising speed of the Audrey allows her to turn around within 12 hours, and thus her owner can run her up to seven trips a week. And that, adds her designer, is the single most important criterion for a fast, offshore supply and passengercarrying vessel.

Other stories from July 1980 issue

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