Southern Devall Honors Longtime Captains With Namesake Vessels
Chemical and liquid fertilizer specialist Southern Devall LLC, headquartered in Sulphur, La., and with an operations center in Memphis, Tenn., and a sales and administrative office in Houston, recently took delivery of the last two of four 65-foot, 1,600 hp. towboats from Plaquemine, La.-based Verret Shipyard. The boats primarily will shift and fleet barges at Southern Devall’s various locations along the Gulf Coast.
The first two boats were the mv. Capt. Charlie Weaver and the mv. Mikey Devall, both named after two of the company’s longtime employees. Th third and fourth vessels in the series consist of the mv. Capt. Ronald Boudreaux and the mv. Capt. Billy Walker, both named for vessel captains with more than 30 years of service with Southern Devall.
Boudreaux, from Houma, La., began working on the river more than 36 years ago, starting out with his father and uncle. He was known on the boats as “JJ,” short for Ronald Joseph Boudreaux Jr., and for 28 years, he was the captain of the mv. Claude Devall, followed by three years on the mv. Nicholas Veto.
“When I started, the third generation of Devalls were just kids working summers on the boat,” Boudreaux said. “I’ve watched the company grow from a small company from the small town of Hackberry, into the large company it is today. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here, and I never thought about leaving.”
With a deep respect for the Devall family, Boudreaux said, “The Devalls were my favorite part of the job—Mike, Bubba, Joe, Allen and Claude. Then, after that, Kenny and Mikey. They always treated me great. It means the world that they named a boat after me.”
Now, as Boudreaux retires, he said he plans to spend more time with his family, travel with his wife, volunteer at church and enjoy his passions for woodworking, hunting and fishing.
More recently, Southern Devall launched the fourth boat of the series, the mv. Billy Walker, named in honor of a longtime mariner whose 36-year career spanned nearly every role on board, from deckhand to high captain, the company said.
Walker began his career in 1989, and with hard work and determination, he swiftly climbed the ranks, becoming an ammonia bargeman in 1990, then an engineer in the company’s Memphis shop in 2000. He returned to the boats in 2003 as a bargeman/engineer.
By 2006, Walker had earned the title of chief engineer. He achieved the rank of pilot in 2012, relief captain in 2014, and, ultimately, high captain of the mv. Paula Fortier in 2018. He also contributed significantly to the company’s operational advancements, including barge upgrades and machinery improvements. Walker is also a certified designated examiner and a graduate of Z-drive school.
The Walker family legacy runs deep at Southern Devall, with three generations serving aboard company vessels. Walker’s father, Billy Walker Sr., dedicated 37 years to the company. His brother, James Brandon Walker, served as a pilot, and his grandmother, Ruth Walker, spent five years cooking on the boats.
Vessel Specs
The mvs. Capt. Ronald Boudreaux and Capt. Billy Walker measure 65 by 26 feet and are constructed of 1/2-inch bottom plate and 3/8-inch side shells. They are powered by twin Cummins QSK 19 diesel engines that produce a total of 1,600 hp. The boats, which draw 10 feet when fully loaded with 20,000 gallons of fuel and 10,000 gallons of water, have a pilothouse eye level of 32 feet. The vessels’ four-blade propellers are 76 inches by 56 inches. They turn on 6-inch, cold rolled shafts with Wartsilla seals and Thordon bearings. Reduction aboard the vessels is 6:1 via Twin Disc MG5222 gears.
Aboard each vessel are two John Deere generators, each rated 60 kw., that were furnished by Devall Diesel Services, as were the engines and gears. The main engines and generators are cooled by grid coolers from East Park Radiators and are equipped with an alarm system from Rio Marine. Custom Hydraulic Components supplied the electric-over-hydraulic, full-follow-up steering system aboard both the Capt. Ronald Boudreaux and Capt. Billy Walker. A Viking waste oil pump on the new vessels makes it possible to change the oil in the engines, gears and generators with a quick-connect.
Both vessels feature a six-person, lightweight, compact and easy-to-maintain Ahead marine sanitation system. The deckhouse aboard each vessel, insulated with FRP paneling and walls, houses three bunkrooms plus one and one-half baths and is equipped with a central air conditioning system for the lower deck in addition to a personal unit in the pilothouse. The pilothouse of both vessels is equipped with electronics, featuring Furuno radars, from D&G. Atop the pilothouses are two Kahlenberg air horns, two 500-watt Xenon searchlights with remote controls and an 8-inch fog bell. On deck, the Capt. Ronald Boudreaux and Capt. Billy Walker feature two 40-ton Nabrico winches. Fendering is by Schuyler. International Paint provided the marine coating.
Verret Shipyard carpenters installed oak joiner work aboard the vessels.
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Featured photo caption: The mv. Capt. Ronald Boudreaux in the Port Allen Canal near Verret Shipyard in Plaquemine, La. (Photos courtesy of Southern Devall)
