Eastern to Build 4 Towboats for IWL River
IWL River, Inc., a Impala Terminals Colombia affiliate, and Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) on May 20, 2015 signed a contract for the construction of four 134-foot ABS Classed Inland River, Triple Screw Towboats each with a Retractable Pilothouse (ESG Hulls 243-246), the shipbuilder announced.
According to Eastern, this inland towboat design and detailed engineering is being provided by CT Marine of Portland, Maine.
The new towboats for IWL River, Inc., one of Eastern’s newest clients, will service the inland waterways of Latin America for Impala Terminals. Impala owns and operates a network of terminals that facilitate global trade flows, specializing in warehousing, multimodal logistics and related port services for essential commodities worldwide. Impala connects its customers to the global commodities market.
The four Inland River Triple Screw Retractable Towboats will feature the following characteristics:
- Length (LOA): 134’
- Breadth: 42’
- Depth: 9’
- Minimal Operational Draft: 6’
- Pilothouse Eyelevel (above waterline): 37’-6”
- Pilothouse Eyelevel (above waterline) retracted: 22’
- Diesel Main Engines: three Caterpillar 3512C, IMO II, 1,280 Horsepower at 1,600 RPM
- Reverse Reduction Gears: three Reintjes, WAF665
- Diesel Generators: two Caterpillar C6.6 125 kW, IMO II, 220-volt, 3-phase
Eastern has two new construction and repair facilities in Panama City, Fla. and has been in business since 1976 building new, converting and repairing vessels in steel and aluminum of all types including offshore and harbor tugs, offshore/platform supply vessels, multipurpose construction vessels, research vessels, firefighting vessels, barges, ferries, passenger vessels, fishing vessels and inland towboats.