Verret and Sneed deliver towboats for Blessey

In February, Blessey Marine Services held a dual christening on the New Orleans waterfront for a pair of steel-hulled towboars. The 66'x30'x10' Judy S. Fried was designed and built at Verret Shipyard Inc., Plaquemine, LA, and the 65'x30'x9' Luke Bryan was designed and constructed at Sneed Shipbuilding, Orange, Texas. The boats will push black-oil barges along the inland waterway system.

"We're right at about 20 boats [when those on order are delivered] we've built at Verret," owner Walter Blessey said at the christening ceremony.

As has been the case with Blessey's new towboats, creature comforts such as upscale appliances and cabinetry int he galley and individual television and VCR systems in each room provide crews with a little more incentive to remain with Blessey.

"It's really all about people," said Blessey. "When you give them good equipment to work with, you get good results."

"When we build a boat for [Walter], we do our best to make it first class," said Murray Verret, the yard's founder.

The Judy S. Fried is powered by a pair of Cummins KTA19-M3 diesels, each producing 640hp at 1,800rpm. The mains are connected to Rice propellers through Twin Disc MG-5202 marine gears with 6:1 reduction ratios.

The steering system is from Custom Hydraulics and controls are by Mathers. Twin Cummins 5.9BTA gensets, sparking 55kw of electricity each, provide ship's service power. Capacities include 20,000 gals. of fuel and 7,500 gals. water. The vessel has room for a crew of eight. It was delivered in February.

The Luke Bryan features a retractable wheelhouse. "Sneed built us a good boat," Blessey said. "We're currently building a fleet boat with them."

The Luke also gets its main propulsion from two Cummins KTA19-M3 diesel engines, developing 640hp at 1,800rpm each. The KTA19s are connected to Rice wheels also through Twin Disc MG-5202 marine gears. It also has a Custom Hydraulics steering system and controls by Mathers.

Ship's service power is again handled by two Cummins 5.9BTA gensets producting 55kw of electrical power each. Tankage includes 18,000 gals. of fuel and 7,500 gals water. The Luke Bryan was delivered in December.