Washburn & Doughty to Build Casino Boat

Washburn & Doughty has signed a contract with Cajun Express, Inc., of Boston, to build a 186-ft. offshore casino boat. Hull 65 is the second vessel to be built by Cajun Express at Washburn & Doughty. The first, Big M Casino, is operating out of Fort Myers, Fla. Hull 65 wil be a longer and wider version of the first vessel, and was designed by Washburn & Doughty and John W. Gilbert Assoc., Inc. It was designed specifically to handle off-shore conditions with heavy gaming equipment aboard. Hull 65 measures 186 x 38 ft., with a 7.5 ft. draft. It will carry a minimum of 500 passengers and up to 72 crew. The vessel will be powered by two Caterpillar 3508B DIT main engines rated at 1,100 bhp @ 1,800 rpm. They will be connected to ZF BW 256 close coupled reduction gears with 4.113:1 gear ratio, 5.5 in. Aquamet 17 shafts, and 60 in. five-blade bronze propellers. There will also be an American Bow Thruster "Trac Series" dual propeller 28 in. diameter unit of approximately 200 hp aboard. It will be direct driven by a 200 hp 405T Frame 460 VAC motor. Both the engine room overhead and forward bulkhead will be lined with three in. sound down mineral wool with one lb./sq. ft. lead to minimized noise in the passenger areas.