briefs
Coral Sea:
vessels
A Good Engineer Knows His Ship
There is an old account of a Chief Engineer, frustrated with his captain's gold braid and superior attitude, exclaimed, "Look, without me and my engine this ship won't go from port to port. I keep the engine running and the propeller turning, all you have to do is make sure that it all stays dry!" In fact that man had a point, and in times past it was not uncommon for an engineer to stay with a ship as it went through various owners. If the Permex Canning company of Zamboanga, Philippines ever decided to sell their 167-ft. reefer ship Pearl Sea it seems likely that a new owner would want Chief Engineer Bonillo Rafugio to come along with the boat. The Coral Sea has a deep (14.4 ft. molded depth) hull that contains a large engine room space at the bottom of which lurks a venerable six-cylinder Nigata L(MG) 25 BX diesel that can still get up about 1200 hp at just over 600 rpm. Flanking the main engine, a pair of slightly younger Detroit 671s powers a pair of 65 kW generators. Forward a pair of compressors, one a 75 hp Mitsubishi and the other a 55 hp Taiwanese-built machine, lurk in the shadows near a massive electrical switch board with knife switches that are more machete than knife. A darkening patina of rust holds
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Handy Supply Vessel for Gulf of Mexico
Romeo Pappa has put into service the newly built supply vessel M/V Port Eads. Designed by Frank Basile's Entech & Associates, Inc. firm of Houma, La., the boat was built by St. Johns Shipbuilding of Palatka, Fla. At 166 x 40-ft. the boat carries a little more beam, giving it a 100 x 32-ft. clear aft cargo deck. The beam, together with a 14-ft. depth, gives the boat some big capacities including 97,093 gallons of cargo water, 50,000 gallons of fuel, and 1,200 barrels of drilling fluids. Additional tankage is provided for 5,356 gallons of potable water. A 152 cu. ft. walk in cooler is also built in. Light draft is 5.8 ft. while maximum draft on the 837 long ton deadweight vessel is 12 ft. Propulsion is provided by a pair of Cummins KTA38 main engines delivering a combined 2500 HP to Twin Disc 5.96:1 gears and 72x72 stainless steel fourblade propellers. The boat also has a 300 hp bow thruster and two 99 kW gen-sets. Transfer rates for both fuel and cargo water are 500 gallons per minute at 160 ft. Drilling fluids can be pumped to 200 ft. at 450 gpm. The ABS Loadline classed vessel is certified to carry up to 26 people with two sixman, two four-man and three two-person staterooms. Galley seating is for 16 people and all accommodation areas of airconditioned. Performance speeds are 13 knots at 70 gallons per hour and 11 knots at 50 gallons per hour. The M/V Port Eads is Home Ported in New Orleans and is 99 GRT and 67 NRT.
Chief Engineer Bonillo Rafugio with the cam-shaft control on the venerable Nigata. (Photo Credit: Alan Haig-Brown photo)
For more information www.stjohnsshipbuilding.com April 2008
14 MN