Rodriguez Building Twin-Screw Shrimpers

Rodriguez Shipyard in Bayou LaBatre, Ala. is enjoying a busy season with a twin-screw shrimper currently under construction for a late November delivery. The new boat, for owner Steve Nguyan, will be similar to the Lucky B delivered to Louisiana customer Ba Nguyan last August. At 98 by 26 by 12-ft., the boats, are each powered by a pair of Cummins 6-cylinder KTA19 M3 engines rated for 600 hp at 1800 RPM. turning into twin disc 5202 gears with 6.1:1 reductions. The twin engines provide plenty of power but the primary reasons for owners choosing twins is redundancy and close quarter maneuverability, explains Joe Rodriguez. A pair of Cummins-powered 70 Kw gen sets provide electrical service for the boats including a 5 by 10-foot stainless steel brine tank for quick freezing the shrimp in 40 to 50 pound onion sacks. The frozen shrimp, valued at $5.00 to $6.00 per pound, is then stowed in a zero degree Fahrenheit hold with a 60,000-pound capacity although the average 30-day trip delivers 10-12,000 pounds of shrimp.The Lucky B has tankage for 30,000 gallons of fuel and 7,000 gallons of water. Financing for the boats was arranged through the Cummins partnership with CitiCapital.