Amelia Ray, the 1600hp towboat Rodriquez Shipbuilding supplied to Mississippi driver L&L Marine Transportation in June, is currently functional with a complete series of Thordon oil-free as well as grease-free bearings created to lower a vessel’s shed charter days.
The 65ft (20m) newbuild is the initial vessel in the L&L Marine fleet to be defined with a Thordon propulsion bundle at the vessel style phase.
The choice to choose the polymer leader’s RiverTough tailshaft bearings, shaft linings, TG100 seals, ThorPlas-Blue tail bearings, ThorPlas-Blue Self Aligning Bearings (SAB), as well as SXL propelled washing machines for the newbuild complies with the success of earlier retrofits throughout the proprietor’s fleet.
Image Credits: seabornecomms.com
L&L Marine proprietor Lee LeBoeuf clarified that all his vessels currently run with just Thordon bearings because of the “significant operational savings” experienced with the earlier setups. The Harvey, Louisiana- based driver possesses a fleet of 5 vessels.
“We originally changed all our rubber tailshaft bearings with Thordon’s RiverTough bearings as well as shaft linings as well as discovered we had the ability to prolong drydocking periods from 3 to 8 years.
“We then started retrofitting ThorPlas-Blue bearings in the rudder stocks and installing TG100 seals, which reduced operational costs even further as there is less vessel down time and maintenance. This means we are more attractive to our customers, more dependable, and more reliable. We can better plan drydock schedules in line with the operational needs of our customers,” claimed LeBoeuf.
Thordon Sales Manager Jim Bright claimed: “L&L Marine, a longtime customer for Thordon Bearings, has a small fleet of workboats which means that the financial risks are higher if a vessel has to come out of service for repair work. Lee tells me that the switch to Thordon bearings and seals has not only mitigated these risks but helped facilitate improvements to the bottom line.”
Bright flagged up the efficiency of the Self Aligning Bearings, specifically. “The tiller arms of the steering system on this new vessel were also fitted with Thordon’s Self Aligning Bearings on both the live end of the steering cylinder and the jockey bar. The SAB, made from ThorPlas-Blue polymer material, is not only self-aligning, but it also provides grease-free operation. This allows the tillers to operate with independent suspension. As the rudder works there is no binding of the jockey bar which would typically result in increased stress and wear on the bushings, resulting in reduced maintenance and associated costs.”
LeBoeuf testifies that while capital investment is greater than a traditional tailshaft/propulsion bearing system, the Thordon application aboard Amelia Ray is anticipated to cause yearly functional cost savings of US$ 15,000.
“Compared to conventional propulsion and tailshaft bearings, which require regular maintenance, replacement and frequent drydocking, the Thordon system results in threefold reduction in operational costs,” claimed LeBoeuf.
Designed by Entech, Amelia Ray is a twin-screw towboat purpose-built for the transport of petrochemicals along all inland as well as seaside waters in the southerly states of the United States.
Powered by a set of Mitsubishi S6R2 diesel motor driving Kahlenberg screws with Twin Disc MGX5321 decrease equipments. Two 60kW Cummins generators offer power to among various other customers a Hydra Force electric-over-hydraulic guiding system.
With container ability to transfer 15,000 gl (68.1 m3) of petrochemicals, 4,100 gl (18.6 m3) of safe and clean water, 500gl (1.9 m3) of lube oil as well as 400gl (1.5 m3) of unclean oil, L&L Marine’s brand-new watercraft is Subchapter M certified as well as for that reason able action barges lugging oil or dangerous products in no discharge locations fromSt Marks, Florida to Rio Grande, Texas on the Intracoastal Waterway as well as rivers not greater than 3 miles from coast.
Set to function without the advantage of a fully-fledged baptism because of the Coronavirus situation, Amelia Ray, called after the proprietor’s four-year-old granddaughter, is presently running petrochemical items along the Mississippi in between Houston, Texas as well as Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
L&L Marine has an alternative on an extra vessel from of Bayou la Batre- based Rodriquez Shipbuilding however “we will wait to see how COVID-19 plays out before making the decision,” claimed LeBoeuf.
