Devall Towing Puts New Boat Into Service
Devall Towing & Boat Service of Hackberry LLC has taken delivery of a new towboat from Southwest Shipyard. The boat is the mv. Anna Frances and it is the third of four vessels from Southwest Shipyard. The first, the mv. Ryder James Devall, was delivered last year along with the mv. Velle Devall. The company expects to take delivery of the fourth boat in the series, the mv. Kathryn Louise, later this year.
Measuring 64 by 27 feet with a 10-foot draft, the 1,500 hp. newbuild is powered by Tier 3 Cummins QSK-19 engines supplied by family-owned Devall Diesel Service. The engines turn Sound 76- by 56-inch propellers through Sewart Twin Disc MG5222 gears at a reduction ratio of 7:1. Crumpler’s Machine Shop made the 6-inch Aqua Met shafts. The shaft seals are from Kobelco.
The mechanical-over-electronic steering system was designed and installed by Custom Hydraulics Components. Two 65 kw. John Deere generators were supplied by Devall Diesel. They and the main engines are cooled by fresh water circulated through keel coolers from East Park Radiator.
Built within the hull are reservoirs for approximately 10,000 gallons of fuel, 5,000 gallons of potable water and 600 gallons of lube oil. Engine alarms were furnished by Rio Marine. Fire prevention is a product of Hiller.
Comfortable quarters, consisting of four bunkrooms and two full baths insulated with three inches of mineral wool, are provided for a crew of six. Interior paneling is FRP with half-inch plywood backing. Cabinets are birch plywood and solid red oak, which is also used in interior trim and joiner doors. Dale’s Welding provided the aluminum exterior doors, windows and pilothouse windows. The galley countertops and pilothouse dash console are granite.
The pilothouse offers a 30-foot eyelevel and is equipped with a complete Furuno electronics package furnished by D&G Electronics. Deck equipment includes two 40-ton Nabrico winches.
The Anna Frances was designed by Advanced Fabricating and built at the Brady Island extension of Southwest Shipyard in Houston under the direction of Maurice Leblanc.
The new towboat is named for the 13-year-old daughter of David Devall, the company’s vice president of fleeting operations and granddaughter of Mike Devall, president of Devall Towing. Speaking of his daughter, David couldn’t say enough about what an outstanding contemporary dancer she is, which he is sure will one day be her profession. “She just loves to dance,” he said.
Interestingly, the boat that the mv. Anna Frances replaces is the mv. David C. Devall, built in 1978, which the company has since retired.
The boat will work mostly on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway towing petrochemicals. Devall’s fleet now numbers nearly 40 boats and 100 owned barges. It operates some 140 barges total.
Caption for top photo: The mv. Anna Frances was built by Southwest Shipyard.
