MP Expands Fleet With Trio Of Towboats
Metairie, La.-based Maritime Partners recently took delivery of the last of three new towboats built by John Bludworth Shipyard at its 11-acre facility on the Corpus Christi (Tex.) Ship Channel. The identical vessels measure 84 by 32 feet with a depth of 8 feet, 6 inches and a pilothouse eye level of 34 feet. Subchapter M compliant, they are constructed of ½-inch steel forward and ¾-inch steel aft. The sides and decks are 3/8-inch steel.
As is the custom of Maritime Partners, a leader in maritime leasing and financing with a fleet of more than 1,900 vessels, the boats are named after family members of the company’s officers. Hence, the nameboards read Jason Livingston, Shiloh Amon and Mara Brooks. The towboat Jason Livingston is named for the son of Maritime Partners’ chief operating officer, Eric Livingston.
Namesake Jason said he is comforted knowing that a vessel carries his name. “It means you have become part of something greater, and your story navigates the waterways with it,” he said. A native Californian, the younger Livingston is a resident of San Diego, Calif., where he recently graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in psychology.
Another namesake is Shiloh Amon, who is Jason Livingston’s 4-year-old niece. Her namesake vessel joins one other built earlier, the Mack Amon. The third towboat, Mara Brooks, is named for the 5-year-old niece of the company’s owner, Bick Brooks.
The three vessels are each powered by twin Cummins QSK38M1, Tier 3 diesels rated 2,600 hp. total at 1,600 rpms. from Cummins Marine. The engines turn 82- by 61-inch, four-blade propellers on 8-inch shafts through Reintjes WAF 665 reduction gears (5.95:1) from Karl Senner. Cummins Marine also provided the 99 kw. generators. Steering is full follow-up, electronic-over-hydraulic from Rio Controls.
The new towboats can each carry 38,000 gallons of fuel,14,000 gallons of potable water, 350 gallons of lube oil and 500 gallons of slop oil. Each has 4 staterooms with a total of 6 berths. There are two full bathrooms with stainless steel showers and a half-bathroom on the main deck.
Each boat has three 4-ton Carrier air conditioning and heating units, two Quincy air compressors and one Seahorse MSD unit along with two 40-ton Wintech winches. M&M Bumper provided laminated rubber fenders.
The pilothouses are equipped with Furuno FR1918VBB radars, Furuno AIS transponders, satellite compasses, loud hailers and transducers. Additionally, there are Standard Horizon VHF radios, Helmsman compasses, Young wind monitors and Alphatron swing meters, all from Rio Marine.
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Featured photo caption: The mv. Jason Livingston was built by John Bludworth Shipyard for Maritime Partners Inc. (Photo courtesy of John Bludworth Shipyard)
