Page 9: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (May 1990)

Blount Marine Launches

Excursion Boat Spirit of Boston

Warren, Rhode Island-based shipbuilder Blount Marine Corpo- ration recently launched and chris- tened the latest addition to the growing Cruise International fleet, the dinner/excursion boat M/V

Spirit of Boston. The Spirit was the first boat launched from Blount

Marine's new shipway.

The 600-passenger Spirit of Boston slides down Blount Marine's new ways.

Being constructed for Holiday

Cruise II, a subsidiary of Cruise

International headquartered in

Norfolk, Va., the 600-passenger

Spirit of Boston, which will operate in Boston Harbor, was called "the finest (one) of its kind," by owner

Richard D. O'Leary, president of

Cruise International.

Commenting on the Spirit of Bos- ton, Luther H. Blount, president of Blount Marine, said, "She repre- sents the peak of design and con- struction of the last 40 years at

Blount Marine. I am very proud of the workers of Blount Marine who have done a terrific job preparing the Spirit of Boston for her sched- uled delivery on May 1."

Mr. Blount said that the Spirit of Boston was similar in some re- spects to the Spirit of New York, a dinner/excursion boat delivered by

Blount Marine to Cruise Interna- tional in 1987. "She (the Spirit of

Boston) incorporates some changes by the owner and is actually a foot longer than the Spirit of New York, even though she is listed as 192 feet long," said Mr. Blount.

Other noticeable changes from earlier designs are the Boston's sleek megayacht profile and en- larged pilothouse. Additionally, the vessel's superstructure has been ex- tended on the aft part of the third deck to conceal her stacks.

Besides Mr. Blount and Mr.

O'Leary, other dignitaries on hand included: Anne Lawler, the ship's sponsor; her husband, Beverly

Lawler, chairman of the board,

Lawler, Ballard Advertising, and a member of the board of directors of

Cruise International; Marcia L.

Blount, executive vice president of

Blount Marine; Ronald Baer, shipyard manager; D.M. Sennott, representative of Senator Chaffee;

Ken Willette, representative of

Governor Edward DiPrete of

Rhode Island; and representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard Marine

Safety Office in Providence—Capt.

Eric J. Williams III, Captain jaf

SPIRIT OF BOSTON

Equipment List

Main engines (2) Caterpillar

Reduction gears Twin Disc

Propellers Columbian

Engine controls Mathers

Generator Detroit Diesel

Auxiliary engine Caterpillar

Bowthruster engine Caterpilla

Keel coolers Blount Marine

Steering system Wagner

Stuffing boxes Blount Marine

Main shaft bearings Rexnord

Stern bearings Cutlass

Freshwater pressure system . . . Peabody-Barnes

Sanitary system Peabody-Barnes

Bilge pump JABSCO

Fire pump Gorman-Rupp

Washdown pump Gorman-Rupp

Radar Furuno

VHF radiotelephones Raytheon

Depth sounder Datamarine

Compass Dirigo

Air horn Kahlenberg

Searchlight ITT JABSCO

A/C & heating Dunham-Bush

Ship's sponsor Mrs. Anne Lawler christens the Spirit of Boston for Cruise International, Inc.,

Norfolk, Va., at recent ceremonies at Blount Marine Corporation in Warren, R.I. Her hus- band, Beverly (pictured center), a member of the board of directors of Cruise International, and CI president Richard D. O'Leary, were also in attendance.

May, 1990

Part of the large number of spectators that were on hand for the Spirit of Boston's chris- tening. Note the vessel's sleek megayacht profile. the Port; Comdr. L.A. Doyle, exec- utive officer; Lt. Comdr. T. Moniz,

Chief of Inspection; CW03 T.

Blair, Marine Inspection; and

CW02 S. Hall, Marine Inspection.

Pastor Bertrand L. Theroux gave the ship's blessing.

The Spirit of Boston has an over- all length of 193 feet, beam of 36 feet, depth at amidships of 10 feet 5 inches, and full load draft of 7 feet.

Her propulsion machinery consists of two Caterpillar 3408 marine die- sel engines, Twin Disc MG-514 re- duction gears and a pair of 48-inch by 32-inch Columbian propellers.

Upon her delivery in May, the

Spirit of Boston will join six other ships built by Blount Marine for

Cruise International. The ships are based in New York, Chicago, Los

Angeles, Philadelphia, Washington, and New Jersey.

For free literature detailing the building facilities and services of

Blount Marine,

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SPIRIT OF BOSTON