Conrad Shipyard Delivers The Mv. Christa Ricketts
Crounse Corporation, Paducah, Ky., recently announced the delivery of its newest towboat constructed by Conrad Shipyard, Morgan City, La. The mv. Christa Ricketts is the fourth 6,034 hp. boat Conrad Shipyard, LLC has built for the Crounse Corporation in the last five years, preceded by the mv. Linda Little in 2025, the mv. Alice in 2024 and the mv. Sandra Holt in 2021.
“The delivery of the mv. Christa Ricketts is a testament to the skill and commitment of our employees and the strong partnership we share with Crounse Corporation,” said Johnny Conrad, executive chairman of Conrad Shipyard. “We take pride in building high-quality vessels that support our customers’ operations safely and reliably, and we value the continued trust they place in Conrad Shipyard.”
The new vessel is powered by two General Electric (GE) Tier 4 diesel engines paired with Cummins generators, Reintjes WAF 4545 HL/HR reverse reduction gearboxes with internal hydraulic multi-disc shaft brakes and Reintjes condition monitoring systems from Karl Senner, LLC. According to Crounse Corporation, it is also equipped with a P.E.-certified ship alarm system and state of the art steering, navigation and interior electronics and components. Measuring 166 feet long, 48 feet wide and 12 feet deep, the mv. Christa Ricketts can support up to 12 crew members and is fit with guest accommodations. It was certified to be Subchapter M-compliant with EPA Tier 4-compliant main engines by the U.S. Coast Guard.
“Once again, I want to thank the team at Conrad Shipyard and all of our vendor partners for their efforts in making this project a success,” Crounse Corporation President and CEO Matt Ricketts said. “We are excited to add the mv. Christa Ricketts to our growing vessel fleet, and I look forward to additional investments to support our continued growth.”
In operation since 1948, Crounse Corporation operates a fleet of 40 towboats and more than 1,200 barges with offices in Paducah and Maysville, Ky.
Conrad Industries has been serving the maritime industry for more than 75 years. The company, spanning five shipyards in Louisiana and Texas, builds dredges and dredge equipment, ferries, towboats, offshore support vessels, tank and specialty barges, liquified natural gas vessels and tugs.
Featured photo caption: The mv. Christa Ricketts, Crounse Corporation’s newest towboat, was recently delivered by Conrad Shipyard. The 6,034 hp. vessel is the fourth boat Conrad has built for Crounse in the last five years. (Photo courtesy of Crounse Corporation)
