Crescent Towing Takes Delivery Of Mv. Kentucky
Crescent Towing, based in Mobile, Ala., announced May 7 that it has taken delivery of its newest tugboat. The mv. Kentucky, a 6,000 hp. tug, was put into service at the beginning of the year and will soon be operating on the Lower Mississippi River.
“Crescent is proud to introduce the mv. Kentucky to the maritime community on the Mississippi River,” said Scott H. Cooper, president of Crescent Towing. “This new 6,000 hp. vessel will be a great addition to our fleet on the Mississippi River and will further strengthen our abilities to provide the best service to our customers.”
The mv. Kentucky, designed by Crowley Engineering Services, Seattle, Wash., measures 92 feet long and 38 feet wide with a 19-foot draft. It is a twin-screw vessel with two Caterpillar 3516E Tier 4 engines at 3,004 hp. each. The engines support Kongsberg 255 fixed-pitch Azimuthing drives (Z-drives). It is equipped with a 43,846-gallon fuel capacity and a potable water capacity of 16,811 gallons.
The new vessel was built by Blakely BoatWorks (BBW), which is based in Mobile, Ala. The 26-acre shipyard boasts a service capacity of 15 towing vessels and barges and specializes in small vessel repair and barge repair as well as new service construction. BBW and Crescent Towing are both subsidiaries of the stevedoring and maritime firm The Cooper Group.
“It’s been a pleasure to watch the Crescent Towing Port Engineering Team work together with the fine professionals at Blakeley BoatWorks to produce these extraordinary vessels,” said Keith Kettenring, executive vice president of Crescent Towing. “Their success shows in the craftsmanship and attention to detail seen on the recent deliveries of tugs mv. Kentucky and mv. Angus R. Cooper II.”
BBW constructed the mv. Kentucky to ABS classification Maltese Cross, A-1 towing, AMS, full ocean service, international load line and escort class towing.
“Blakeley BoatWorks is proud to carry forward our collaboration with Crescent Towing in building this class of 6,000 hp. tugboats,” said Swathin Kannalath, managing director of Blakeley BoatWorks. “The opportunity to deliver highly advanced vessels for service on the Mississippi River represents a significant achievement and a source of great pride for our entire organization.”
Featured photo caption: Blakely BoatWorks (BBW) delivered the mv. Kentucky, a new 6,000 hp. tug, to Crescent Towing. (Photo courtesy of The Cooper Group)
