Ingram Renames ’60s Towboat Mv. Y.S. Chi

Ingram Barge Company renamed one of its vessels November 4 in honor of a member of Ingram Industries’ board of directors.

The mv. Y.S. Chi is a twin-screw towboat formerly known as the mv. Kim W. Knowell. It was originally built in 1966 by Jeffboat of Jeffersonville, Ind., as the mv. Dell Butcher. American Commercial Barge Line owned the boat until March 2012, when it was sold to Ingram, according to the Inland River Record. It is 170 feet by 40 feet. It is now powered by two 3,000 hp. GE Tier IV engines, and the pilothouse has been raised.

According to biographical information listed online, Chi is an international businessman and a leader in the media and technology industry. His primary role is director of corporate affairs and Asia strategy for RELX, formerly Reed Elsevier, a corporate group comprising companies that publish scientific, technical and medical material and legal textbooks. Prior to that he was chairman of Random House, Asia.

He also previously served as chairman of the Association of American Publishers and spent four years as president of the International Publishers Association.

Chi was elected to the Ingram Industries board of directors in February 2018. The privately held company’s businesses include Ingram Marine Group and Ingram Content Group.

Ingram officials plan to hold a formal christening for the towboat in the spring.