Verret Delivers Mv. Callaway Parker To PTC
Parker Towing Company of Tuscaloosa, Ala., has taken delivery of a new towboat, the mv. Callaway Parker, built by Plaquemine, La.-based Verret Shipyard. The boat is named for one of the daughters of Tim Parker III, the company’s president and CEO.
The mv. Callaway Parker is a 2,000 hp. twin-screw towboat propelled by Caterpillar C32A main engines rated 1,000 hp. each at 1,800 rpm. They are mated to Reintjes WAF 573 gears from Karl Senner, which have a reduction ratio of 7:1, and they turn 80- by 62-inch steel propellers on 7-inch shafts with Duramax seals. Ship’s service power for the three-deck Callaway Parker is provided by two Cat 4.4 marine gen sets with 75 kw. each. The engines are cooled by East Park Radiator grid coolers.
Within the hull is tankage for 28,000 gallons of fuel, 12,250 gallons of fresh water, 6,700 gallons of potable water, 5,400 gallons of dirty bilge and 260 gallons each of dirty, hydraulic, lube and gear oil. Steering for the two main and four flanking rudders is accomplished by a fully redundant, electric-over-hydraulic system manufactured by Custom Hydraulic Components.
There is a 42-point vessel alarm system from Eagle Controls. The new boat has air-conditioned and heated accommodation for a crew of seven in four staterooms. The crews’ quarters, galley and pilothouse all have fire-resistant paneling and ceilings with sound and vibration damping. There are two baths and showers. The vessel is equipped with a 12-man Ahead sanitation system.
The pilothouse, which has an eye level of 29 feet, houses a full suite of electronic equipment featuring Furuno radars with a 19-inch LCD monitor, three VHF radios, a swing meter, sounder and bridge watch.
Atop the pilothouse are two Carlisle & Finch Xenon searchlights and a Kahlenberg duplex airhorn. On deck are two 40-ton Patterson winches. The tow knees and hull are protected by fenders from M&M Bumpers.
Capt. William “Freddy” Sheppard brought the boat out of the shipyard on its maiden voyage, saying the new vessel “ain’t no love boat. It’s a work boat.” He described the Callaway Parker as “tough, reliable and handles like a pro.” Other crew members were Relief Capt. Harold “Jack” Brace, Pilot Scott Luke, tankermen Charles “Buddy” Atterberry, Mike Harper Jr. and Adam Lee, and deckhands Hunter Van Hoosen and Quintarious Finchis.
A christening ceremony, planned for later in the year, will include the 4,400 hp. towboat named for Parker’s other daughter, Olive Parker, that was put into operation in 2021.
Other vessels under construction at Verret Shipyard, located along the Port Allen Canal just below Baton Rouge, include a 1,600 hp., twin-screw towboat named Capt. Billy Walker Jr., which is the last of four for Southern Devall; a 1,600 hp. towboat with a retractable pilothouse for Marine Chartering LLC; and a 1,600 hp. towboat for Echo Marine Ltd.
Featured image caption: The mv. Callaway Parker on sea trials near Verret Shipyard in Plaquemine, La. (Photo courtesy of Verret Shipyard)
