FEBRUARY 7, 2019– The inland pushboat M/V Virginia is the initial freshly constructed pulling vessel to obtain a Certificate of Inspection (COI) considering that the application of 46 CFR Subchapter M.
Owned by Plimsoll Marine, the vessel was constructed by Blakeley BoatWorks,Mobile, AL., and also will certainly run within the Cooper Consolidated short lived impact, the biggest on theLower Mississippi River Plimsoll Maribe, Blakely BoatWorks and also Cooper Consolidated are all participants of the Cooper Group of business.
Blakeley BoatWorks efficiently finished building of M/V Virginia in August 2018. Designed and also constructed throughout a year, the 70-foot lengthy, 28-foot large, and1,600 steed power vessel is both SIRE and also 46 CFR Subchapter M-ready. Plimsoll Marine will certainly run the M/V Virginia on the Lower Mississippi River for Cooper Consolidated.
“The Blakeley BoatWorks team is proud to have constructed our nation’s first new inland towing vessel to receive a COI,” claimed Tim Mire, Managing Director of Blakeley BoatWorks. “Our customers expect that their new vessels will meet our industry’s highest levels of compliance requirements and we certainly met those high expectations when we delivered the Virginia.”
Blakeley BoatWorks is a leading Gulf Coast shipbuilding and also vessel repair service professional.
Facilities consist of a drifting completely dry dock, 4 functioning bays, and also woodworker, electric and also upkeep stores. The functioning bays rest on a 26-acre university and also have 10-ton expenses cranes. Blakeley’s 600-metric-ton traveling lift can training and also relocating vessels 40-feet-wide and also 200-feet in size.
“We’re proud of the work Blakeley BoatWorks has done and have high expectations for the Virginia as it begins service in the Cooper Consolidated fleet,” claimed Erik Cooper, Executive Director,Cooper Consolidated “Our customers and employees now have the added satisfaction, pride, and peace of mind knowing that our fleet is home to one of the industry’s safest and most capable vessels.”
Plimsoll Marine, a Cooper Group firm, is a press watercraft driver with a present fleet of 19 press watercrafts that carry out fleet job and also barge shipment solutions from Baton Rouge, LA to Head of Passes on the Lower Mississippi River.
“Our decision to be the first company to build a new vessel under the recently enacted regulations of 46 CFR Subchapter M was not one that we made because we thought it would be easy,” claimed Karl Gonzales, Vice President ofPlimsoll Marine “Instead, the decision to be the first was made to further demonstrate that Plimsoll Marine is a safety and compliance leader.”
A brand-new towing vessel is specified in 46 CFR Subchapter M Part 136.100 as, “…a towing vessel, subject to inspection under this subchapter that: (1) Had its keel laid or was at a similar state of construction on or after July 20, 2017; or (2) Underwent a major conversion that was initiated on or after July 20, 2017.”
