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LESS IS MORE FROM BOLLINGER
Bollinger Shipyards, Inc., Lockport, La., has added another new design to its growing list of “less is more” offshore service vessels. These new generation OSVs have cargo carrying capacities of larger vessels without the added equipment, operational and maintenance costs. Bollinger’s latest design was developed in close cooperation with operator L & M BoTruc Rental Inc., Golden Meadow, La., which signed contracts for two of the new OSVs. The new generation BoTruc will be focused on supporting the shelf activity in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The first hull was launched February 6, 2004 and delivery of the first boat, Cheramie Botruc 38 is planned for June 2004, with the second vessel, Cheramie Botruc 39, following in about three months thereafter. The new 191-foot platform supply boat meets all new regulatory requirements including DPS1 and is under 200 gross tons. Slotted between Bollinger's new 166-foot and 207-foot supply vessels, the new 191-foot boat can be contrasted to 180-foot and 185-foot OSVs, which were considered “standards” for Gulf of Mexico (GOM) service in the 1980's and 1990's. “By comparison,” said Danny Irby, Bollinger’s executive vice president new construction, “the old 180s carried around 1,750 barrels of liquid mud and 3,500 cubic feet of dry mud. Our new 191 can carry 2,500 barrels of liquid mud and 4,800 cubic feet of dry bulk mud. The older boats usually carried around 500 tons of cargo on about 4,000 square feet of aft deck space. Our new boat can carry 900 long tons on her deck that has almost 5,000 square feet of clear deck cargo area.” Irby added that the older GOM standards carried around 61,000 gallons of fuel oil. the new Bollinger design more than doubles that, with a 125,000-gallon capacity. “That,” said Irby, “gives the 191 more revenue time serving offshore installations and less time returning to base for fuel.” Each OSV will be powered by two Cummins KTA50-M2 diesel engines developing 1,600 bhp each at 1,800 rev/min, which will drive Nibral propellers through Twin Disc MG 5600 reduction gears with a ratio of approximately 6:1. Eight other Cummins diesels will power two service generators, two generator drives, an emergency generator, bow thruster and pump systems. Accommodations for 18 will be provided in seven cabins.
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