FEBRUARY 1, 2013—Florida Marine Transporters, Inc., Mandeville, LA, recently exercised options to build at least one and up to five additional 90 ft x 32 ft x10 ft “Canal Class” inland towboats at Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Panama City, FL.

Last December, Florida Marine Transporters (FMT) took delivery of the M/V Blake Boyd , the fifty-fifth towboat built by Eastern for FMT.  This series of towboats originally began with a 25-vessel contract, with deliveries starting in 2006 and has expanded to become the largest single towboat design/build contract. This new contract is for one towboat with four options and will be constructed from a design furnished by Gilbert Associates, Inc. of Boston, MA.   

The new towboat under this contract will be the first in this series with EPA Tier 3-compliant main propulsion engines and generators.  Louisiana Power Systems Is supplying the main engines will be two Caterpillar 3512C Tier 3 diesels rated at 1,500 hp at 1,600 rev/min. The reduction gears are direct-coupled Twin-Disc Model MG-5600 with a 6.04:1 reduction supplied by Stewart Supply, Inc., Harvey, LA.  Electrical power is provided by two 99kW John Deere 4045AFM85 99KW Tier 3 generator sets rated for 60 Hz, at 208 VAC provided by Kennedy Engine Company, Biloxi, MS.  These diesel engines comply with the current EPA/MARPOL control of emissions of nitrogen oxides from marine diesel engines.

Thirteen years ago, FMT set on a course of achieving excellence in the maritime industry as envisioned by its CEO Dennis Pasentine.  Together with committed shipmates and a strong work ethic, FMT has developed into one of the largest inland marine companies, with one of the youngest towboat and tank barge fleets. FMT transports a variety of cargoes such as petrochemicals, chemicals, LPG, crude oil, agricultural liquids and dry cargo.