(MOBILE, Ala.) — Blakeley BoatWorks recently completed construction of M/V Green Wave, an advanced Subchapter M inland pushboat. Owned by Plimsoll Marine, the vessel will operate within the Cooper Consolidated fleeting footprint, the largest fleeting footprint on the Lower Mississippi River. All three companies are part of the Cooper Group of Companies.
Designed by Farrell and Norton and built by Blakeley BoatWorks over the course of a year, the 70-foot-long, 28-foot-wide, 1,600-horsepower vessel is fully compliant with the latest U.S. Coast Guard regulatory requirements.
“Our team is proud to be part of the construction of the Green Wave,” said Swathin Kannalath, managing director of Blakeley BoatWorks. “Our customers expect their new vessels to meet the industry’s highest levels of compliance and we certainly met those high expectations with the delivery of Green Wave.”
Blakeley BoatWorks is one of the Gulf Coast’s leading shipbuilding and vessel repair facilities. Facilities include a floating dry dock, four working bays, and carpenter, electrical and maintenance shops. The working bays sit on a 26-acre campus and have 10-ton overhead cranes. Blakeley’s 600-metric-ton travel lift is capable of lifting and moving vessels 40 feet wide and 200 feet in length.
“We’re proud of the work Blakeley BoatWorks has done and have high expectations for the Green Wave as it begins service in the Plimsoll fleet,” said Karl Gonzales, vice president of Plimsoll Marine. “Our customers and employees now have the added satisfaction, pride, and peace of mind knowing that our fleet is home to one of the industry’s safest and most capable vessels.”
The towboat, completed in December, is powered by two Caterpillar C32 800-hp Tier 3 diesel marine engines and coupled to two Twin Disc MGX5222 gears. Electrical power is supplied with two Caterpillar C4.4 Tier 3 generators.
A pair of Southeastern Propeller 70-inch, four-blade stainless-steel propellers provide thrust through two J&S Machine Works ABS grade two propeller shafts with Thordon shaft bearings, Thordon rudder bearings, and Kemel shaft seals. HydraForce LLC supplied the steering system for the two 7-inch main and four 7-inch flanking rudders.
HydraForce provided a pair of Quincy reciprocating air compressors, with ventilation fans provided by Donovan Marine. Schuyler Maritime supplied varying sizes of rubber fendering around the perimeter of the vessel and push knees.
Stone Construction provided a Mitsubishi split-duct HVAC system in all interior spaces, with Blakeley BoatWorks providing all custom woodwork and interior finishes. Bozant supplied rubber-framed windows and Donovan Marine supplied a pair of Patterson 40-ton deck winches. Blakeley BoatWorks installed all electronics, communications and an alarm system.
The towboat has a capacity of 22,000 gallons of fuel and 5,200 gallons of fresh water. The vessel is outfitted with four crew staterooms housing seven crewmen, with three baths and a full galley arrangement.
— Cooper Group of Companies
