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64Maritime Reporter & Engineering News larger towboats, such as the triple KTA19-powered M/V Bertolini LVIII, can push multiple barges on the larger river or handle shallower rivers. These larger tows often use a detachable bow thruster also powered by a Cummins KTA19. On smaller and faster waterways single barges allow transport. To see the routes served by Bertolini Transport Ltda. Please see: www1.tbl.com.br/port-folio/ingles/rotas-fluviais-mapa.htmlMANAUS: A PORT ON A HILL To a large extent Manaus owes its exis- tence to its location at the confluence ofthe dark waters of the Rio Negro and the sand-colored waters of the Rio Solimões. Of equal importance is the elevated land that rises above the oft-flooded Amazon- ian basin. With river heights varying by as much as 14 m over the year the eleva- tion is good but it leaves limited flat beach land for shipyards. The shortage of low beach land hasn?t stopped Francisco Barbosa Dos Santosfrom building steel towboats at his yard, Barbosa Reparos Navais Ltda. A visitor arriving at the yard by road might be a bit confused when the entrance is a simpledoor between two houses. Inside the door a small storage area leads to a precipitousdrop to the river far below. A long flight of stairs parallels the metal tracks of asimple funicular on which one stands tobe lowered by cable. As the visitor descends to the yard aquick count shows a dozen boats and barges in various states of repair and completion. Barbosa builds the hulls and superstructure on the limited, and steep,space available on his marine ways then finished boats up alongside his covered barge machine shop. In late August there were two Cummins powered boats in the water. The first, with its hull and super- structure completed and covered in grey primer, awaited a single KTA19-M en- gine. When all done up this would be a fine looking single screw 600-HP tow- boat. The second boat, the Possante L, was nearing completion and Cummins Manaus representative João Mendonça was visiting the owner Jose Soares. Pow- ered by a pair of Cummins KTA19-M mains this 18 x 6.6-m, 1200-HP boatwould be fully capable of handling the larger tows on the Amazon system. FEATURE WORKBOAT ANNUAL The Barbosa yard from the funicular. The grey boat on the left has a single KTA19 engine while the green roofed boat seen from the bow has twin KTA19s João M. N. Mendonça of Powertech Comercial Ltda confers with Jose Soares of Caiambe Navegacao E Comercio Ltda. in the engine room of the new vessel. (Haig-Brown photos courtesy of Cummins Marine) MR Nov.11 # 8 (57-64):MR Template 11/2/2011 1:48 PM Page 64