Page 41: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (June 1999)

Market Reports • Inland

Mr. Mel: Taking Care of Business Powered By "Cats"

Diamond Services Corp. knows the importance of staying competitive in the oilfield service industry, which is why the Morgan City, La., company broke the conventional rules of "propping" and built Mr. Mel, the first water jet-pow- ered crew/supply boat to work in the

Gulf of Mexico. Considered an innova- tive propulsion system for a crewboat, the diesel engine/water jet combination offers advantages of increased speed, maneuverability and flexibility over pro- pellers.

The 145 ft. (44 m) aluminum mono- hull, built at Swiftships, Inc., was deliv- ered in February 1995. At that time, Mr.

Mel was powered by four 815 bhp (611 bkW) diesels driving four Hamilton

HM-571 water jets through a Twin Disc

MG-5202 gear with a 2:1 reduction ratio. Mr. Mel is capable of carrying 79 passengers with a full load of fuel and 30 tons of deck cargo at 24 knots, and can achieve 28 knots light.

Since 1995, Mr. Mel has worked con- tinuously in the Gulf of Mexico, running supplies and crewmen to deep water oil rigs. The water jets, as expected, have performed flawlessly, making them a worthwhile investment in the eyes of

Diamond Services. But there was a sec- ond factor to the equation. "We began experiencing engine prob- lems," says Mike Swiber, the compa- ny's purchasing manager. "What began as piston ring wear turned into larger, more frequent problems." Swiber adds that for the first three years, the engines went through several repairs and over- hauls in an attempt to alleviate the prob- lems. While much was covered under warranty, it was downtime that the com- pany could not afford. "It got to the point where enough was enough," he says. "We continued to suc- cessfully serve our customers during these times, but the original engines weren't durable enough to meet our standards. It's no secret that in this industry, engines take a beating, and these simply weren't cut out to be crew- boat engines."

With business potentially at stake,

Diamond Services decided to pull Mr.

Mel's original diesel power plants. The company looked to its fleet, powered by various engine manufacturers, for clues as to which type of engine would meet the company's requirements.

The answer was found with Diamond

Services' Lisa Ann and Mr. D. Lisa Ann was built in 1997 to the same specifica- tions as Mr. Mel, but powered by Cat 3412 engines. The same year, the 17- year-old Mr. D, equipped with conven- tional props, was repowered with the

June, 1999 same model engines. The propulsion history was good and performance results were strong for both vessels, so

Diamond Services ordered four Cat 3412 engines, each rated 825 bhp (619

Mr. Mel was recently repowered with Cater- pillar diesel engines. (photo: Skeets Photo-

Service, Patterson, La.)

AST/LLEROS ESPANOLES

Now and into the future

Ochandiano, 14-16 28023 El Plantio • Madrid - Spain

Tel.+34 91 387 81 00

Fax+34 91 387 81 14

Email: [email protected]

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