(BELLE CHASSE, La.) — C&C Marine and Repair has delivered the towboat Olive Parker to Parker Towing Co., the first vessel from the builder for the Tuscaloosa, Ala.-based company.
The 4,400-horsepower towboat measures 147.5 feet by 34 feet by 10 feet 9 inches, with the pilothouse eyeline measuring 33 feet. Olive Parker was constructed based on a collaborative design by Parker Towing and CT Marine of Portland, Maine.
Propulsion is provided by two Caterpillar 3516B main engines paired with two Reintjes WAF 873 HL-HR reduction gears from Karl Senner LLC. Service power is provided by two John Deere 6068 AFM 85 150-kW generators. The conventional steering system HPU, along with the alarm and monitoring system, were provided by Eagle Control Systems. The towboat is also outfitted with two 100-inch-diameter, stainless-steel fixed-pitch propellers provided by Sound Propeller Systems.
Accommodations include 10 beds, with the complete joiner system being provided by Kern Martin Services. The navigation and communication package, provided by Wheelhouse Electronics, includes Furuno radar equipment, transducer, satellite compass, AIS system and loud hailer, as well as a Standard VHF radio, Alphatron swingmeter, Young weather sensor and Intellian satellite TV antenna. The vessel is also equipped with two Carlisle & Finch 1,000-watt searchlights.
The towboat is outfitted with a pair of Nabrico 60-ton winches and a through-the-deck capstan from Shoellhorn-Albrecht. For additional crew safety, Oliver Parker is equipped with a Novec 1230 “clean agent” fire suppression system. The fire detection and suppression system were both provided and installed by the Herbert Hiller Co.
“During our process of selecting shipyards for our new vessel construction program, C&C was one of the facilities whose reputation for quality really stood out in the industry. They employ state-of-the-art processes in an all-weather facility, with the majority of assembly being performed within enclosed warehouse bays. M/V Olive Parker is our first project with C&C and, we can say without a doubt, they certainly lived up to their reputation,” said Terah Huckabee, senior vice president of Parker Towing.
– C&C Marine and Repair