Parker Towing Christens Towboats From C&C, Verret
Northport, Ala.-based Parker Towing Company christened a pair of towboats October 14 on the left descending bank of the Black Warrior River in Tuscaloosa, not far from the company’s headquarters.
The two vessels, the Callaway Parker and the Olive Parker, aren’t technically sister vessels. The Callaway was built at Verret Shipyard in Plaquemine, La., and delivered earlier this year, while C&C Marine in Belle Chasse, La., delivered the Olive Parker in 2021. The Callaway measures 86 feet by 30 feet and sports 2,000 hp., while the Olive is an imposing 147.5 feet by 34 feet with 4,400 hp.
In another sense, though, the Olive and Callaway are indeed sister vessels in that they’re named after the daughters of Tim Parker III, president and CEO of Parker Towing Company, and his wife, Megan.
Parker opened the christening by asking Tony Cibilich, owner of C&C Marine, to share a bit about the mv. Olive Parker. Cibilich emphasized the size and heft of the Olive Parker and what that means for moving cargoes on the inland waterways.
“The boat has 4,400 hp., which allows it to push 20 barges at one time, and inside those 20 barges are a billion pounds of cargo. So, this is a boat that really keeps America moving. It’s also a boat that was really fun to build.”
With that, 8-year-old Olive Parker expertly broke a bottle of champagne over the rail above the nameplate that bears her name.
The mv. Olive Parker operates primarily on the Tennessee River, the Black Warrior River and the Black Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway, transporting coal, steel and grain products for export. The Olive Parker’s 4,400 hp. comes from a pair of Caterpillar 3516 diesel engines mated to Reintjes reduction gears from Karl Senner LLC.
After the christening of the mv. Olive Parker, the Parker family moved over to the mv. Callaway Parker, which is the newest addition to the company’s liquid division fleet.
“It’s currently working for Hunt Refining here in Tuscaloosa pushing tank barges,” Parker said.
Parker then handed the microphone to Verret Shipyard owner Ted Verret to speak a bit more about the mv. Callaway Parker. Verret explained how the Callaway follows the shipyard’s standard 2,000 hp. design, which has long been a staple for inland operators.
As Parker handed the bottle of champagne to his 6-year-old daughter, Callie, the former college basketball player momentarily took on air of a parent or coach cheering from the sideline.
“OK, let’s see if we can go two-for-two here,” he said.
Just like her older sister, Callie Parker broke the bottle over the rail above her nameplate on the first try.
The mv. Callaway Parker’s 2,000 hp. comes from a pair of Caterpillar C32 diesel engines paired with Reintjes gearboxes from Karl Senner LLC. The engines and gearboxes turn 80- by 62-inch steel propellers on 7-inch shafts with Duramax seals. Ship’s service power for the three-deck Callaway Parker is provided by two Cat 4.4 marine gen sets with 75 kw. each. The engines are cooled by East Park Radiator grid coolers.
Leading up to the christening ceremony, Parker Towing offered vessel tours aboard both the Olive Parker and the Callaway Parker. The Parker girls took turns sitting in their respective captain’s chairs and sounding the towboats’ horns, which invariably made guests on board and ashore jump.
The company held a reception in a restaurant on the bluff overlooking where the Olive and Callaway were moored.
When asked after the christening whether his sons, who are older than Olive and Callaway, have namesake vessels, Tim Parker said, “Yes, in a way.” Parker Towing Company has both an mv. Tim Parker and an mv. Rhett Parker, both family names shared by his boys. Parker also said he particularly wanted his girls to experience christening their namesake vessels.
Featured image caption: A view of the mvs. Olive Parker and Callaway Parker from the bank of the Black Warrior River in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Photo by Frank McCormack)
