Riverway Shipyard Delivers GM-Powered Towboat 'Waterways Explorer7

Riverway Shipyard Company of Grafton, 111., recently completed construction of the 910- bhp towboat Waterways Explorer (shown above) for River Operators, Inc. The new vessel will be used as a fleet boat and a shuttle boat in the Winona, Minn., area.

The Waterways Explorer is 65 feet long, 23 feet wide and 8 feet deep. It has an operating draft of 6 feet.

The bow rake headlog and corners were built of ^-inch and 1- inch plate, respectively, with inch rub bars welded over the corners for added protection. The towknees and headlog were outfitted with rubber bumpers from B-J Marine Products.

The boat was built with a galley, bathroom complete with shower, quarters for six crew members, an electronics room, and a 9-foot by 9-foot pilothouse with a 26-foot eye level. The main stack is removable for easy access to the engine room.

The two General Motors main engines were furnished by Western Diesel Services. They are Detroit Diesel Allison model 16V71, each rated 455 bhp at 1,800 rpm.

They are air-operated from the pilothouse by WABCO air components.

The Twin Disc reverse/reduction gears turn the shafts at 5.17:1 ratio and were also supplied by Western Diesel. The stainless-steel, four-blade propellers are 62 inches in diameter by 47 inches in pitch. They were fitted to two 5-inch tailshafts with three Sturm sleeves each.

The two steering rudders and four flanking rudders have 6-inch stocks with upper and lower mild steel sleeves. The sleeves turn in brass bearings lubricated by grease. The steering and flanking rudders are individually controlled by double-acting hydraulic cylinders. Power and control to the cylinders is supplied by a two pump/motor combination of variable volume designed by Riverway Shipyard. Complete control of the motor operation is handled from the pilothouse.

Electric power is derived from two Detroit 3-71 diesels operating at 1,200 rpm driving threephase, 30-kw International Electric generators. One generator is air start; the other battery start.

Compressed air for engine starting, engine controls, and whistle is supplied by two air compressors with 5-hp 1,800-rpm motors. A Riverway-designed monitoring and alarm system maintains a constant check on main and auxiliary engines. A pilothouse information panel provides auxiliary monitoring signals.

Deck machinery includes two Beebe 30-ton winches. Fire protection on the boat is provided by the standard remotely operated fire pump hooked directly to two hose stations on the exterior of the vessel. The interior is fully protected by manually operated, portable carbon dioxide fire extinguishers.

The pilothouse, crews quarters, galley, and bathroom are fully insulated for heat, air-conditioning, and sound. The boat is air-conditioned for comfort. A St. Louis Ship FAST System LS-1 was installed for treatment of sewage.

A Carlisle & Finch 500-watt Xenon searchlight and one Carlisle & Finch 14-inch, 1,000-watt incandescent searchlight are located on the pilothouse roof. Directional spotlights are located on all four corners of the vessel at the second deck level, two under pilothouse. The pilothouse is fitted with a Kahlenberg air horn.

Maritime Reporter Magazine, page 38, Jul 1981

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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.