Throngs of spectators came to the Jeffboat, Incorporated, Jeffersonville, Ind., shipyard recently to witness the dual christening and launching ceremonies of the motor vessel Jeffboat, a 6,000-horsepower vessel named to honor the company's accomplishment as an industry leader over the past several years.
The honor was given to Jeffboaters in recognition of the shipyard's recent spectacular production records. Beginning in 1979 and continuing today, the shipyard has enjoyed an unprecedented demand for marine equipment. Both 1979 and 1980 were banner years for the company, with the 1980 production of 528 hulls topping the previous production high of 442 hulls set in 1979.
The new towboat will join the fleet of American Commercial Barge Line Company (ACBL), a sister company of Jeffboat, Incorporated, when she is completed.
Receiving special honors on that day were J. Kirk Rowell and Frances Brendle, the most senior male and female employees of Jeffboat. They were chosen as cosponsors of the new vessel for their many years of dedicated service to the company. In that capacity, Mr. Rowell stood by while Mrs. Brendle spoke the words, "I christen thee the motor vessel Jeffboat," and cracked a bottle of champagne soundly against the hull of the towboat.
Orders were then given to cut the ropes holding the boat to the launchways, and the towboat slid down the ways.
When she is completed and outfitted later this summer, the Jeffboat will go into service as a line boat for ACBL, moving tows of up to 30 barges on all sections of the country's inland rivers.
Both ACBL and Jeffboat are part of the Inland Waterways Division of Texas Gas Transmission Corporation.
M/V JEFFBOAT
Principal Dimensions & Tonnage Length — 145 feet Breadth — 48 feet Depth — 11 feet 6 inches Draft, Normal Operating — 8 feet Draft, Loaded — 8 feet 11½ inches Displacement, Normal — 1,294 tons
Capacities Fuel oil — 101,900 Fresh water — 9,800 Sanitary water — 14,500 Lube oil — 3,000
Propulsion Main engines — Two Alco diesel, 16 cylinder, Model 251F, 3,240-hp each Reverse reduction gears — Two Lufkin, Model RHS 3624, 4.66 to 1 ratio Propeller shafts — National Forge 10½-inch alloy steel forging Propellers — Two Coolidge, five-blade, 110-inch stainless steel Steering gear — Jeffboat — Two steering rudders, four flanking rudders, operated by independent hydraulic rams
Auxiliary Machinery Main generators — Two Detroit Diesel-Delco 125-kw, 450-volt, 3-phase, 60-Hertz, driven by GM 7083-7005 diesel engines Switchboard — Enclosed, dead front, control systems Heating and air-conditioning — Hot water — Heat Recovery Package SHPS-1, Dunham-Bush A/C, 20 tons total capacity Air Compressors — Two Westinghouse, Model 5320B, rated 23.8 CFM at 250 psi Fire protection — Eight fire stations, pump—Ingersoll Rand, Model 3x2x8HC, 200 gpm at 230 foot head Fixed Halon system for engine room — Orr Safety Equipment Co., Fixed Halon 1301 system for engine room; fixed and semi-fixed systems, portable extinguishers elsewhere
Deck Machinery Capstans — One Schoellhorn-Albrecht Co. type 22300, 10 hp Winches — Four Beebe, Model 62, 5 hp
Navigation & Communication Equipment Radar — Sperry MK 4016 Digital depth indicator — Raytheon DE-760 Intercom — TOA/Moakler Sound-powered telephone — Henschel Searchlight — Carlisle & Finch, two Xenon Air horn — Kahlenberg, Model Q-4 Swing-o-meter — Shannon, Model 2B Radio — 2 Intech M80 VHF, 1 Intech M2500 SSB