Gnots Reserve Christens 11th Towboat, The Mv. Lucky 7
Dan Wise, president and owner of St. Rose, La.-based Gnots Reserve Inc., is a proud grandfather. Between his children, Danielle Hymel and Dane Wise, who both oversee the company’s day-to-day operations, Wise has seven grandchildren: Taylor, Katie, Emily, Noah and Quincy Hymel, and Gracie and Maggie Wise.
“They’re all good kids,” Wise said. “They’re all successful and have never given us any trouble.”
With Gnots Reserve, which operates a barge fleet near Mile 118 on the Lower Mississippi River, adding a new vessel to its fleet of towboats, Wise wanted a way to honor his grandchildren all at once.
“I knew if I named a boat after just one of them, the others would be jealous and want one named after them, too,” Wise said. “And I’m not looking to build six more boats anytime soon, so that’s where Lucky 7 came from.”
The mv. Lucky 7 is the 11th boat in the Gnots Reserve fleet and its first from Verret Shipyard in Plaquemine, La. The design, while akin to Gnots Reserve’s four other towboats with an octagonal pilothouse set atop a spindle, is a collaboration between the shipyard and Ken Hoffmeister. Ryan Hayes, port engineer for Gnots Reserve, said company leaders were grateful for the chance to partner with Verret Shipyard on the Lucky 7.
“It was a pleasure working with Mr. Ted Verret and Mr. Warren Berthelot, along with Mr. Paul Taylor, the project manager for the Lucky 7,” Hayes said. “There was great attention to detail, and the boat is working well for us.”
The mv. Lucky 7 measures 64 by 27 feet, with 8 feet of draft. The vessel’s 1,500 hp. come from a pair of Cummins QSK19-M engines from Cummins Mid-South. The Lucky 7’s main engines and Twin Disc 5222 gearboxes from Sewart (6.1:1 ratio) turn Sound four-blade, 68-inch by 53-inch wheels from Jefferson Propeller. Ship service power comes from a pair of Cummins generators. Tankage aboard the Lucky 7 includes 18,900 gallons of fuel and 12,560 gallons of potable water.
Separating the new vessel from the other “spindle top” towboats in the fleet, the Lucky 7 features floor-to-ceiling windows on the aft-facing side of the pilothouse.
“Based on our experience and feedback from our crews, we’ve modified that design over time to make it work better for us,” Hayes said.
In addition, Verret changed the pedestal for the pilothouse from being round to square and incorporated some usable storage into that space.
“You can never have enough storage on these boats,” Ted Verret said.
According to Gnots Reserve, placing the pilothouse on a pedestal—and therefore eliminating the second deck—enhances the stability and maneuverability of the vessel, both with a tow and light boat, which is an asset for fleet boats. The Lucky 7 offers one stateroom astern with a double bunk and a bathroom.
The Lucky 7 features 6-inch, cold-rolled propeller shafts with Thordon TG100 dripless tail shaft seals, RiverTough tail shaft bearings, ThorPlas-Blue rudder bearings, ThorPlas-Blue steering linkage bushings and SXL thrust washers. East Park Radiator supplied the vessel’s Duraweld grid coolers, and Hydra Force provided the electric-over-hydraulic steering system.
Alarms are by Unlimited Control & Supply, and Hiller supplied the fire suppression system. Wheelhouse Electronics provided the Lucky 7’s electronics package, which includes two Koden radars. On top of the pilothouse, the Lucky 7 has a pair of Carlisle & Finch 19-inch search lights. On deck, the vessel features three 40-ton Wintech winches, two on the main deck and one on the fleet deck. Wintech also supplied the roller buttons. Kevels are by Donovan, and fendering is by Schuyler. Verret Shipyard supplied the vessel’s sanitation system and the granite counters and oak cabinetry in the galley.
The shipyard got started on the project toward the latter half of 2022, and Gnots Reserve unveiled the new boat at the company’s Christmas party in December 2023. Hayes said the name of the vessel was a surprise, at least for most of the grandchildren.
“I’m pretty sure two of them knew what was going on, but it was a surprise for the other five,” Hayes said. “They were all honored and grateful for sure.”
Besides the Lucky 7, Gnots Reserve has 10 other towboats in its fleet. The mv. Alley Cat, which Gnots Reserve bought in 1994, was built in 1981 and repowered in 2007. Gnots Reserve’s three vessels from Eymard Marine Construction & Repair in Harvey, La., include the mv. Ryan Anthony (2023), the mv. Jack Estes (2022) and the mv. Burrwood Wise (2020). Gnots Reserve built its other six towboats: the mv. Wise One (2008), the mv. Damian Wise (2009), the mv. Darlene Wise (2011), the mv. Ms. Danielle (2013), the mv. Dane Wise (2014) and the mv. Papa Wise (2015).
Caption for top photo: Dan Wise’s seven grandchildren aboard the mv. Lucky 7, from left: Taylor Hymel, Katie Hymel, Emily Hymel, Gracie Wise, Maggie Wise, Noah Hymel and Quincy Hymel. (Photo courtesy of Gnots Reserve)
