FMT Shipyard Delivers Mv. Parker Brooks
FMT Shipyard & Repair LLC, located at Mile 4 on the Harvey Canal in Louisiana, has delivered a new boat, the mv. Parker Brooks. Built for Maritime Partners LLC, the Parker Brooks is the 10th build in a 12-boat series that FMT Shipyard is constructing for Maritime Partners. For whatever it’s worth, it’s the third boat to be named after a relative of Maritime Partners’ co-founder and CEO, Bick Brooks. Delivered February 27, the Parker Brooks joined Maritime Partners’ fleet of boats for lease.
The Parker Brooks, designed by Entech Designs, measures 67-1/2 by 29 by 9-1/2 feet, which is like the other Entech boats except it’s a foot wider, which “helps with draft and stability and provides more working area on the deck,” explained Chip Stiebing, the shipyard’s general manager.
Other nuances include resilient mounts on the engine feet, which Stiebing said “have resulted in a significant decrease in sound and vibration throughout the vessel.”
“Also, all the vents and fill stations for the fuel and oil tanks are recessed and strategically located, resulting in less interference on the main work deck and line-handling areas,” Stiebing said.
The Parker Brooks is powered by a pair of Mitsubishi S6R2 Tier 3 main engines rated 803 hp. at 1,400 rpms. from Laborde Products. The main engines turn 74- by 63-inch Hung Shen, D-style propellers from HS Marine Propulsion through Reintjes WAF 563L gears with a 7.091:1 reduction ratio from Karl Senner. The ABS grade 2 shafts are 19 feet 7 inches long with a 7-inch diameter. Seals and bearings are from Thordon. The engines are cooled by Fernstrum grid coolers.
The boat has tankage for 16,130 gallons of fuel, 4,500 gallons of water and 442 gallons each of lube and gear oil.
Two 75 kw. Caterpillar C4.4 generators from Louisiana Cat provide auxiliary power to the new vessel, which has four double-bunk crew quarters and two full bathrooms. Throughout the deck house is simulated wood tile and white FRP paneling. There is an AT-6T Ahead sanitation system, and a Hitachi multi-split, heat pump air conditioning and heating system.
Electronic and communication equipment includes two Furuno 1935 radars, GPS and AIS, 3 VHF radios, an intercom system with five speakers, a swing meter, wind gauge, fathometer, magnetic and satellite compasses and a complete camera system.
The vessel has a dual pump steering system and engine alarms from Eagle. For fire safety, the mv. Parker Brooks has two fire stations and a full complement of fire extinguishers. The boat has Schuyler fendering. Coating Systems supplied the Hempel paint. There are two Patterson 40-ton winches.
Commenting on the new build, Brooks said, “Building this boat alongside FMT Shipyard has been an incredible journey, but naming it after my niece, Parker Brooks, who turned six April 16, makes it even more special. Every time she sets sail, I’ll be reminded of Parker’s adventurous spirit and the joy she brings to our family. It’s a tribute to her, and I couldn’t think of a better way to honor the next generation of our family.”
Other MP vessel namesakes are Katy Pluck and Isabel Pluck, who are Bick Brooks’ cousins.
Stiebing added that the shipyard recently signed another 8-boat contract with Maritime Partners for the same 1,600 hp. design.
Featured image caption: The mv. Parker Brooks docked at FMT Shipyard & Repair in Harvey, La. (Photo courtesy of FMT Shipyard)
