The following is text of a news release from Blount Boats:
(WARREN, R.I.) — Blount Boats has signed a contract with the New York Power Authority (NYPA), the nation’s largest state power organization, to construct an icebreaking, all-welded-steel, diesel-powered, double-screw tugboat to operate in seasonal ice near the entrance to and within the upper Niagara River. This vessel will replace existing vessels in the NYPA fleet currently used for the installation, removal and maintenance of the Lake Erie ice boom and various associated marine construction projects.
The naval architectural and marine engineering firm Bristol Harbor Group Inc. developed the contract design and will provide technical oversight during the fabrication process on behalf of NYPA.
The 56-by-18.5-foot shallow draft tug will be powered by two Caterpillar series C-9 engines, each 375 hp at 1,800 rpm. The vessel’s hull, machinery, electrical systems and safety equipment will comply and be inspected in accordance with U.S. Coast Guard Subchapter M standards for towing vessels.
