Boats & Barges

The latest inland marine industry news involving new-construction and refurbished towboats, passenger vessels, ferries, dredges and other inland river boats. Towboat christenings and recent innovations in towboat design are also featured.

Corps Launches New Towboat For Upper Mississippi River

Boats & Barges

Corps Launches New Towboat For Upper Mississippi River

September 11, 2026

The St. Paul Engineer District has launched a new maintenance and repair towboat that will support navigation work on the Upper Mississippi River. The new Fountain City was… Read More

Contract Dispute Keeps Cave-In-Rock Ferry Docked

September 11, 2026

The Cave-in-Rock Ferry, Ohio River Mile 881, hasn’t run in more than two months because of a contract dispute between the owner and the states of Kentucky and Illinois,… Read More

McGinnis Honors Two Industry Veterans With Boat Namings (From left) Donna Caviecy, Bruce McGinnis and Doug Ruschman at the September 5 celebration in South Point, Ohio. Caviecy and Ruschman received large framed photos of the boats named after them, the mv. Mr. Doug Ruschman and the mv. Donna Caviecy. (Photo by Capt. David Smith)

(From left) Donna Caviecy, Bruce McGinnis and Doug Ruschman at the September 5 celebration in South Point, Ohio. Caviecy and Ruschman received large framed photos of the boats named after them, the mv. Mr. Doug Ruschman and the mv. Donna Caviecy. (Photo by Capt. David Smith)

McGinnis Honors Two Industry Veterans With Boat Namings

September 11, 2026

McGinnis Inc. honored two people instrumental to the company’s success with the naming of newly purchased boats in their honor September 5 in a South Point, Ohio, celebration. Read More

Master Boat Builders Delivers 3 Vessels To Maritime Partners

September 4, 2026

Master Boat Builders Inc. recently announced the delivery of several new boats to Maritime Partners. The company has welcomed three new vessels, the first of an eight-vessel series. Read More

Mv. Edwin Rider Completed For Vulcan Materials The mv. Edwin Rider, a new 1,600 hp. twin-screw towboat built by Diversified Marine for Vulcan Materials, measures 72 feet by 30 feet with a 10-foot hull depth. The vessel is powered by two Laborde Products-supplied Mitsubishi S6R2-Y3 Tier 3 engines, each rated at 803 hp. at 1,400 rpm. (Photo courtesy of Diversified Marine)

The mv. Edwin Rider, a new 1,600 hp. twin-screw towboat built by Diversified Marine for Vulcan Materials, measures 72 feet by 30 feet with a 10-foot hull depth. The vessel is powered by two Laborde Products-supplied Mitsubishi S6R2-Y3 Tier 3 engines, each rated at 803 hp. at 1,400 rpm. (Photo courtesy of Diversified Marine)

Mv. Edwin Rider Completed For Vulcan Materials

September 4, 2026

Diversified Marine has completed construction of the mv. Edwin Rider, a new inland towboat built for Vulcan Materials. Constructed at the company’s shipyard in Bourg, La., the vessel is… Read More

C&C Marine Delivers Fourth Towboat To Canal Barge

August 28, 2026

C&C Marine and Repair has delivered the mv. Mimsy H. Lindner to Canal Barge Company, completing a four-vessel series of 2,600 hp. towboats for the New Orleans-based operator. Read More

The New Becky Thatcher Arrives At St. Louis Riverfront

Capt. Riley Brown of Riverview Tug Service made his first trip as captain while delivering the “new” mv. Becky Thatcher from Bayou La Batre, Ala., to St. Louis, Mo. Joining Brown were Capt. Brandon Phillips, pilot Billy Fleming, deckhands Josh Leach and Joey Dufrene, and Brandon Hansen of ABS, who participated in the trip as part of the organization’s industry outreach efforts. (Photo courtesy of Riverboats at the Gateway Arch)

The New Becky Thatcher Arrives At St. Louis Riverfront

August 28, 2026

The Becky Thatcher, St. Louis’ newest riverboat at the steps of the Gateway Arch, has officially arrived and will soon become Bi-State Development’s second riverboat offering tours along the… Read More

Another Vessel Designed To Revolutionize The Industry The McDougall as shown in the January 13, 1949, WJ. Inset of Capt. Leland LeNormand. (Photo from the author’s collection)

The McDougall as shown in the January 13, 1949, WJ. Inset of Capt. Leland LeNormand. (Photo from the author’s collection)

Another Vessel Designed To Revolutionize The Industry

August 21, 2026

In recent columns, we have looked at radical new designs for barges and then a towboat. This column will again detail a vessel that was designed with the idea… Read More

Aerosol System Tackles Vessel Fires Gary Parrott and Joe Kuesis demonstrate the new aerosol fire suppression system at the 2026 Inland Marine Expo in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Zac Metcalf)

Gary Parrott and Joe Kuesis demonstrate the new aerosol fire suppression system at the 2026 Inland Marine Expo in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Zac Metcalf)

Aerosol System Tackles Vessel Fires

August 14, 2026

A new aerosol fire suppression system developed as part of a partnership between Fire Suppression Industries and Airmar Technology aims to extinguish vessel fires quickly and safely. Read More

Maritime Partners Launches Mv. Lulu Hamilton The mv. Lulu Hamilton is the newest addition to the Maritime Partners fleet. (Photo courtesy of Maritime Partners)

The mv. Lulu Hamilton is the newest addition to the Maritime Partners fleet. (Photo courtesy of Maritime Partners)

Maritime Partners Launches Mv. Lulu Hamilton

August 7, 2026

Maritime Partners announced that it has added the mv. Lulu Hamilton to its fleet as a newly constructed pushboat designed by Entech Designs, LLC and built by FMT… Read More

Model-Maker Brings Towboats And Sculptures To Life A detailed illustration by Randy Mayse depicts the mv. Mary Evelyn, one of the many custom towboat drawings he has created using Adobe software to preserve the history of inland river vessels. (Photo courtesy of the artist’s collection)

A detailed illustration by Randy Mayse depicts the mv. Mary Evelyn, one of the many custom towboat drawings he has created using Adobe software to preserve the history of inland river vessels. (Photo courtesy of the artist’s collection)

Model-Maker Brings Towboats And Sculptures To Life

August 7, 2026

For a little more than 33 years, Randy Mayse, 74, has been a man of many talents when it comes to being an artist, a craftsman and a historian. Read More

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