ARTCO Christens Mv. Prairie Harvest

American River Transportation Company (ARTCO) christened a new harbor boat November 14 at its landing in St. Louis. Named the mv. Prairie Harvest, it is one of several identical vessels that Eymard Marine Construction & Repair in Harvey, La., has built recently for the barge line.

The Prairie Harvest is a 64.5- by 28-foot twin-screw towboat with a hull depth of 9.5 feet and a draft of up to 9 feet. The vessel’s 2,000 hp. is from twin Cummins QSK38-M1 Tier 3 main engines. They turn 72- by 59-inch, Hung Shen propellers on 7-inch shafts through Twin Disc gears with a 7:1 reduction. Designed by ARTCO from a lineboat perspective, the new boat features a 29-foot pilot eye level with high visibility, and crew amenities that include a full galley, three double bunk rooms, two bathrooms and a good-sized wheelhouse. Ship’s power is from a pair of 65 kw. John Deere gen sets.

The engines are keel cooled via a Duracool system and steering is accomplished using a Skipper system. The vessel has storage capacity for 10,430 gallons of fuel and 1,600 gallons of potable water.

As with the other new harbor boats, the Prairie Harvest was designed to last a long time and perform well. It features zero discharge in view of the Vessel General Permit and gray water regulations, greaseless seawater-to-vessel interfaces, double-hulled fuel and lube tanks, and biodiesel capabilities. Additionally, all hydraulic steering components are situated in an enclosed rudder room to reduce environmental exposure.

In the christening ceremony, led by Rev. Kempton Baldridge of The Seamen’s Church Institute in Paducah, Ky., Capt. Josh Burgess, master of the mv. Prairie Harvest, had the honor of breaking the champagne bottle over the boat’s towknee.