Unique Utility Vessel Delivered By HUDSHIP

Hudson Shipbuilders, Inc.

(HUDSHIP) of Pascagoula, Miss., recently delivered its fifth vessel for 1980, the 120-foot utility vessel Wanda Louise, built for Gerald P. Hebert Enterprises, Inc. of Lafayette, La.

Mr. Hebert, a manufacturer of oilfield "down hole" equipment, gave special instructions to Har Keswani & Associates of New Orleans for the design of his second vessel. Designed especially for the production department of Transco Exploration Company, the Wanda Louise will service production platforms up to 125 miles offshore.

According to Richard Block, operations manager for Hebert Enterprises and publisher of marine education t e x t b o o k s , the Wanda Louise is a unique vessel for her size. In addition to having an American Bureau of Shipping loadline and being built to U.S.

Coast Guard Subchapter I Requirements, her deck cargo capacity is more than 130 tons and she has freezer/cooler equipment to handle perishable items for the platforms and standby vessels.

The aft steering station is designed with more than 225 degrees of visibility to facilitate unloading while tied up and operating "under the basket," and her reinforced transom and rub rails prevent the type of damage normally encountered by utility vessels.

Liquid cargo of the Wanda Louise includes fuel, industrial water, and t r i e t h y l e n e glycol.

Heavy-duty, 3-inch pumps are used to transfer these liquids.

She is required to off-load cargo in any type of weather, and is equipped with anchor chain and windlass rather than a cable and winch.

Wanda Louise is powered by twin GM Detroit Diesel Allison 16V92 NA engines supplied by George Engine Company, and Twin Disc model 527 reduction gears. On sea trials the vessel exceeded 12 knots. Auxiliary power is provided by two 50-kw Delco generators powered by GM Detroit Diesel 4-71 engines. Engines are monitored by a 21-point Marine Electric system.

The pilothouse is designed for maximum visibility. F u r n i s h ed and installed by Rhodes Electronic Service of Houma, La., the vessel's electronics include Furuno FR-240 and FR-701 radars, Sea Command VHF radiotelephone by SSE, Impulse depth r e c o r d e r, Apelco Trident loudhailer, Micrologic ML-220 Loran C, Marco- Konel 1022 SSB radio, Nav-Lite panel by Continental Electric, internal telephone and public address system, and a Sperry steering and autopilot system.

Wanda Louise will be operating out of Cameron, La.

HUDSHIP, one of the fastest growing yards on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, presently has under construction two utility vessels— one 112 feet and one 120 f e e t— for Gray MacKenzie Ltd. of Bahrain, one 112-foot utility boat for Lamnalco Ltd. of Kuwait, one 85- foot pushboat for Energy Transportation Services of New Orleans, and one 70-foot pushboat for Spanier Towing, also of New Orleans.

Other stories from September 1980 issue

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