Dixie Towing wanted winches resilient sufficient to function reliably in an setting the place splashing salt water and dust is unavoidable.
When Jacksonville, Fla., primarily based Dixie Towing acquired the Dixie Trader in 2021, the 1,800-horsepower tug, in-built 1972, was approaching her fiftieth yr in service and wanted new deck winches to tackle the salt water dredging help that makes up Dixie Towing’s main enterprise.
The firm lately opted to improve the vessel with merchandise from Pittsburgh, Pa., headquartered Patterson Manufacturing.
Dixie Towing Vice President Robert Gibbs Jr. stated that Patterson winches chosen for the vessel have been the “obvious choice” for Dixie’s enterprise.
“We needed a winch not only strong enough to handle loaded ‘Super Jumbo’ hopper barges but also resilient enough to operate reliably in an environment where splashing salt water and mud is unavoidable,” he stated.
Patterson has a decades-long historical past of offering winches paired with corrosion safety packages to clients working coastal environments, together with the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, and has gained a popularity because the go-to winch for this software.
“Protecting products for corrosive environments, specifically salt water, requires experience and attention to detail,” says Taylor Grapes, president of Patterson Manufacturing. “Over the past 70 years, Patterson has continuously evolved its corrosion protection packages to ensure that, whether it is galvanizing or zinc plating, specialized paints, or use of stainless steel and other corrosion resistant materials, your product will hold up over time and provide you with long-lasting quality and operational efficiency.”
The Dixie Trader is now outfitted with a pair of Patterson 40-ton, 7.5-horsepower winches which can be galvanized for corrosion resistance. As for his or her efficiency, Gibbs notes, “After several months of uninterrupted service, this pair of winches has proven to be the correct choice.”
