ESG, FMT Sign Contract for Inland Towboat

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. announced that Florida Marine Transporters, Inc. of Mandeville, LA exercised one (1) additional 90’x32’x10’ “Canal Class” Inland Towboat to the five (5) vessel program currently under contract. On August 5, 2014, Florida Marine Transporters, Inc. signed the 6th vessel and with this additional towboat brings the total to sixty-one (61) vessels contracted. This option vessel adds one more towboat that will be constructed from the design furnished by Gilbert Associates, Inc. of Boston, MA. 

This series of towboats originally began with a twenty-five (25) vessel contract with on-time deliveries starting in 2006. It has expanded to become the largest single builder single owner new construction program of the same class towboat design in United States history. 

Installed in each new vessel will be Tier 3 main propulsion engines and generators. The vessel is powered by two (2) Caterpillar 3512C Tier 3 diesel engines rated at 1,500 HP at 1,600 RPM provided by Louisiana Power Systems. The reduction gears are direct coupled Twin-Disc Model MG-5600 with a 6.04:1 reduction supplied by Sewart Supply, Inc. of Harvey, Louisiana. Electrical power is provided by two (2) 99kW John Deere 4045AFM85 99KW Tier 3 generator sets rated for 60 Hz, at 208 VAC provided by Kennedy Engine Company of Biloxi, MS. These diesel engines comply with the current EPA/MARPOL control of emissions of nitrogen oxides from marine diesel engines.

These new towboats will maintain Eastern Shipbuilding’s role as the largest manufacturers of Inland Towboats in the United States.