News:Verret Delivers Push Boat to Blessey

In mid-December, Blessey Marine of Harahan, La., took delivery of another new push boat from, the Verret Shipyard at Plaquamine, La., a few miles up river from New Orleans. A sister ship to the Jane Ann Blessey, delivered in February 2001, and the Belth Wilson, delivered in February 2002, the 2,000 hp Randy Martin is 86 x 30 x 10.6-ft. with an eight-ft. operating draft.

Mitch Jones, who oversees new construction for Blessey, reports that this is the final boat in the recent build program of the rapidly growing fleet. The Randy Martin brings the company fleet to 32 tow boats and 80 barges. "That boat should be covered by the Home and Garden televison program," says Jones in reference to the superlative finish in the new boat's crew areas.

From the hard wood floors on the accommodation deck to the hand crafted joinery of the light-painted mahogany and cypress table top in the galley, the crew at Verret have outdone themselves on this boat. The same clean design and attention to detail is shown throughout the boat from the stainless steel console in the pilot house to the immaculate white-finished engine room. In the pilot house there is no "wheel", as the four flanking and two steering rudders are controlled, as is typical on Mississippi and U.S. inland waters boats, by a set of "sticks". The roomy engine space contains a pair of Cummins KTA38 mains each rated for 1,000 hp at 1,800 rpm.

The mains are coupled to Reintjes gears with 6.5:1 ratios turning 7-in. diameter shafts with stainless steel four-blade 74 x 58-in. propellers. Electrical needs onboard are met with a pair of Cummins 6B-series engines driving 75 kW generator sets. Liquid capacities include 35,000 gallons of fuel in two tanks and 18,000 gallons of potable water in three tanks. Deck winches are a pair of 40-ton Pattersons.

The Randy Martin is currently working the Mississippi system pushing two 300-ft., 30,000 barrel black oil barges.