It takes about ten and a half months to complete a 155-ft. supply boat at
C&G Boatworks in Bayou LaBatre. So the boat that Janson Graham of
Graham Gulf, had started this past July, should deliver some time next April or May. Sea trials for the new vessel will attract some attention, since it is a sister to boats delivered this past spring, but it will have different power. The earlier boats were powered by four 1575 HP engines for a total of 6300 HP. The new boat will be powered by four Cummins KTA38M2 engines each rated for 1350 HP at 1900 RPM for a total of 5400 HP. The
owner expects the same 23-knot light and 20-knot loaded speed as the earlier boats as the Cummins engines are lighter in weight. The main engines will turn into ZF 4540 gears with 2.59:1 ratios. The Cummins boat will be Graham Gulf’s tenth boat following a 140-footer launching in January. The new 155-footer will have a 29-foot beam and a clear 100 by 25-foot aft cargo deck. In addition to seating for 65 passengers, the boat will have tankage for 35,000 gallons of fuel and 50,000 gallons of water. In additon to the Cummins main engines the boat will have a pair of 75KW Cummins/Onan gen sets and a Cummins model 6BT5.9DM auxiliary engine rated 150hp at 1800 RPM. Funding for the project was provided by Citicapital in cooperation with Cummins Marine.