Verret Delivers Two 1,600 Hp. Towboats To Southern Devall
Southern Devall LLC, which serves the chemical and fertilizer industries from its headquarters in Sulphur, La., an operations center in Memphis, Tenn. and a sales and administrative office in Houston, recently took delivery of the first two of four 65-foot, 1,600 hp. towboats from Verret Shipyard, located in Plaquemine, La.
The boats primarily will shift and fleet barges at Southern Devall’s fleets at Lower Mississippi River Mile 199, in Hackberry, La., on the Victoria Barge Canal, and in the Lake Charles, La., harbor. The new boats join a fleet of some 70-plus towboats and 230 tank barges.
The first two boats are the mv. Capt. Charlie Weaver and mv. Mikey Devall, both named after two of the company’s longtime employees.
Weaver has served Southern Devall for nearly four decades, starting in March 1985. He’s “proud of it,” as one might imagine. With a total of 45 years of experience as a captain, Weaver currently commands the 1,600 hp. mv. Dahli Brooke and has played a key role in training many of the second-generation Devall family, the majority of which he has mentored as deckhands during their summers off from school. Weaver said he fondly recalls “feeling like a stepdad, (literally) raising them on the water.”
Besides keeping an immaculate boat, Weaver has a reputation as a skilled cook, known for his homemade jellies, pickles, tamales and 7-Up biscuits. He said he takes great pride in having a boat named in his honor and recognizes it will continue to sail long after he is gone.
“It is a lasting testament to my legacy at Southern Devall,” Weaver said.
Mikey Devall, executive vice president of operations at Southern Devall, has dedicated 36 years to the family business, starting in his teenage years by working summers and holidays. His career has spanned nearly every operational role, including deckhand, tankerman, dispatcher and manager of the diesel shop from 1993 to 2022.
Devall’s leadership now extends across all operational departments, both coastal and river. One of his major accomplishments has been helping Southern Devall become one of the top engine repair services and marine dealers in the industry for multiple leading engine brands.
“Having a boat with my name on it is incredible,” he said, “but more than that, it shows that anybody can achieve this. You just have to seize your opportunity, stay the course through the good and bad times and never look back. Before you know it, there might be a vessel named after you, too.
“I never expected this, but I’m truly honored,” Devall added. “If I could offer any advice, it would be to stick with Southern Devall, because the future here won’t let you down.”
Vessel Specs
The two new boats measure 65 by 26 feet and are constructed of ½-inch bottom plate and 3/8-inch side shells. The Capt. Charlie Weaver and Mikey Devall are powered by twin Cummins QSK 19 diesel engines that produce a total of 1,600 hp. The boats, which draw 10 feet when fully loaded with 20,000 gallons of fuel and 10,000 gallons of water, have a pilothouse eye level of 32 feet.
The vessels’ four-blade propellers are 76 by 56 inches. They turn on 6-inch cold rolled shafts with Wartsilla seals and Thordon bearings. Reduction is 6:1 via Twin Disc MG5222 gears. There are two John Deere generators, each rated 60 kW., that were furnished by Devall Diesel Services, as were the engines and gears. The main engines and generators are cooled by grid coolers from East Park Radiators and are equipped with an alarm system from Rio Marine.
The electric-over-hydraulic, full-follow-up steering system is from Custom Hydraulic Components, Harvey, La., which is celebrating 45 years of service this year. Owner Joey Rousselle and his father started Custom Hydraulic in 1978 after working at family-owned Skipper Hydraulics.
A Viking waste oil pump on the new vessels makes it possible to change the oil in the engines, gears and generators with a quick-connect. There is also a 6-person Ahead marine sanitation system.
The deckhouse, insulated with FRP paneling and walls, houses 3 bedrooms and 1 and 1/2 baths and is equipped with a central air conditioning system for the lower deck and a personal unit in the pilothouse. The pilothouse is equipped with electronics, featuring Furuno radars, from D&G.
Atop the pilothouse are two Kahlenberg air horns, two 500-watt Xenon searchlights with remote controls and an 8-inch fog bell. On deck are two 40-ton Nabrico winches.
Verret carpenters installed oak joiner work. Fendering is by Schuyler. International Paint provided the marine coating.
Other Vessels
The other two boats, to be named mv. Capt. Ronald Boudreaux and mv. Capt. Billy Walker, are due to be completed in December and March 2025, respectively.
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Featured photo caption: The mv. Capt. Charlie Weaver, one of two towboats Verret Shipyard in Plaquemine, La., has delivered to Sulphur, La.-based Southern Devall. The other is the mv. Mikey Devall. (Photo courtesy of Southern Devall)
