Alice joins the Crounse fleet

The 6,034 hp M/V Alice is the second such towboat Conrad Shipyard has built for Crounse.
The 6,034 hp M/V Alice is the second such towboat Conrad Shipyard has built for Crounse.
The 6,034 hp M/V Alice is the second such towboat Conrad Shipyard has built for Crounse.

Paducah, Ky.-based Crounse Corporation has taken delivery of the 6,034 hp M/V Alice.

Deemed “one of the most efficient and environmentally friendly marine vessels operating on the inland waterway system,” the new 166-foot towboat was built at Conrad Shipyard LLC, Morgan City, La. 

Alice is powered by two General Electric Tier 4 diesel engines coupled to Reintjes gears and equipped with Cummins generators, a P.E.-certified ship alarm system and “the most advanced steering, navigation, and interior electronics and components available in the maritime marketplace,” according to a statement from Crounse. 

The vessel can accommodate up to 12 crewmembers and passengers and has a U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Inspection for Subchapter M compliance.

“We are excited to welcome the M/V Alice to our growing vessel fleet and pleased to honor Mr. George P. Crounse and his family’s legacy with the naming of this vessel during our 75th anniversary year,” Crounse Corporation President and CEO Matt Ricketts said. 

M/V Alice is named after the company’s first vessel and is the second Conrad-built, 6,034 hp boat built for Crounse. The first, the M/V Sandra Holt, was delivered in 2021.

“It is always rewarding to deliver a new vessel to a repeat customer like Crounse Corporation,” said Conrad Shipyard Chairman and CEO Johnny Conrad. he added. “The M/V Alice is representative of the quality, craftsmanship, integrity, and service consistently delivered by our extraordinary shipbuilding team. We value Crounse’s continued confidence in Conrad Shipyard.”

Crounse Corporation currently operates a fleet of 38 towboats and more than 1,100 barges that transport over 30 million tons of cargo each year along the Ohio River and its tributaries, as well as the Tenn-Tom and Black Warrior systems. The company also offers fleeting and harbor service in the Maysville, Ky. area.