Page 70: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 1986)

Caterpillar (continued) plied during sea trial and then later used as a benchmark for problem diagnosis. The cost of Marine PAR will generally be a flat rate price ranging from $300-$400 per engine.

A new Marine PAR tool, comput- er-aided Marine PAR (CAMPAR) has been developed for use by certi- fied Caterpillar Marine PAR deal- ers. This tool assures the owner of consistent test result interpretation which can be relied upon to make cost-effective repair decisions.

Investment Analysis

A new tool to help analyze operat- ing costs, Engine Investment Analy- sis (EIA), will help owners plan and budget resources. Available only through Cat dealers, EIA analyzes cost of engine ownership, expense, revenue, and profitability. The com- puter analysis will help owners eval- uate the feasibility of repowering by accounting for important variables such as fuel efficiency, performance, and repair costs. Owners can com- pare their current cost of operation will potential savings of new invest- unnqno DRYDOCK COMPANY Inc.

REPAIRING ALL TYPES OF VESSELS UP TO ABOUT 150,000 DWT under the sunny skies of the Dutch West Indies 356 days a year

REPAIRS

CONVERSIONS

DRY DOCKS in the

CARIBBEAN

CURACAO - NETHERLANDS ANTILLES

P.O. Box 3012 Tel. (599-9) 78333

Telex 1107, 1207, 3307, 3443, CDM, NA

EXTENSIVE/COMPREHENSIVE FACILITIES • 6000' of repair wharves to 40' draft • graving docks to 918' x 157' • dockside cranes to 75 tons • mobile cranes to 140 tons/320' high • hull, machinery and piping shops • electrical and electronic shops • propeller repair station • underwater surveys • tank cleaning and gasfreeing • resident surveyors for all major classification societies

OUR AGENT IN YOUR AREA IS:

CURACAO DRYDOCK (U.S.A.) INC. 26 Broadway — Suite 741

New York, N.Y. 10004

Phone (212) 943-0122

ITT-420355 WU-640394 ment options.

MEPS

Marine Engine Parts and Service (MEPS) outlets will be expanded in 1986, providing more North Ameri- can points of contact for product support services. The expanded au- thorized service network means fas- ter, better service to marine opera- tors.

Taking a Hard Look at Costs

Mr. Rose suggested that there is a dramatic increase in the need for product support. As engines are be- ing used longer, as fuel quality dete- riorates, or as engines are laid up for extended periods due to ship inac- tivity, owners need to reassess direc- tion and modify strategy to adopt to the changing maintenance require- ments. New engine technology and support programs can help opera- tors avoid unnecessary costs. "Fuel, oil, repair and maintenance costs can be controlled by using the avail- able product support programs.

While fuel and lubricants can ac- count for almost 90 percent of vessel operating costs, the cost of down- time at the wrong time can destroy profits," he stated. "Survivors in this industry will plan their success ... by knowing current operating costs and weighing each repair op- tion as it relates to cash flow, age of equipment, fuel cost, anticipated re- pair and maintenance costs. The balance sheet will quickly determine when its time to change the method of operation. Caterpillar product support capabilities are unrivaled and are in place to help owners do just that."

For further information, and complete literature on Cat support programs, plus a free copy of a new

North American Marine Service Di- rectory (for Caterpillar engine own- ers),

Circle 47 on Reader Service Card

Gulf Coast Fabrication

Delivers 46th Vessel Built

At Pass Christian Facility

Gulf Coast Fabrication, Inc. of

Pass Christian, Miss., has delivered a 266-foot by 53-foot by 23-foot self- opening dump scow to Weeks

Dredging, Inc. of Cranford, N.J. The vessel was completed early this year and is homeported in New York.

The barge is designed to carry dredging spoils and has a total cargo capacity of 4,600 cubic yards, or approximately 8 million pounds.

The dumping system operates by means of hydraulically operated cy- linders mounted at centerline. The hydraulic pumps are powered by a 4-71 Detroit Diesel engine through a "funk" power transmission unit.

The engine was supplied by Kenne- dy Engine of Biloxi, Miss., and is designed for future radio control capability. This vessel, Weeks 256, is the 46th to be constructed at Gulf

Coast Fabrication's Pass Christian facility since the company was founded in 1981.

For further information on Gulf

Coast Fabrication's facilities and ca- pabilities,

Circle 23 on Reader Service Card 74 Circle 124 on Reader Service Card Maritime Reporter/Engineering News