AWARDS 2022 | Best Small Pusher Tug – Green Wave – Cooper Group of Companies & Blakeley BoatWorks
Built for Plimsoll Marine, an associated company in the Cooper Group of Companies of Mobile, Alabama, this is a compact yet potent pusher tug for operation on inland waterways, especially the mighty Mississippi River.
With considerable tankage, she has ample endurance and is fitted to high standards of crew comfort.
Swathin Kannalath, Managing Director of Blakeley BoatWorks, said Green Wave was developed to meet customer expectations of high levels of compliance in the industry.
Karl Gonzales, Vice President of Plimsoll Marine, claims the tug is one of the industry's safest and most capable vessels. Specifically, the tug is fully compliant with the latest United States Coast Guard regulatory requirements. EPA Tier III-compliant Caterpillar diesel engines and generators ensure the vessel is also capable of keeping its emissions as low as possible even with heavy daily use.
A Hydra Force steering system meanwhile provides adequate control for the rudders so that the tug responds well to operator input during barge handling voyages in narrow waterways.
The tug is also outfitted with four staterooms housing seven crewmen as well as three baths and a full galley arrangement, allowing sustained operations. A split-duct HVAC system covers all interior spaces, keeping the onboard environment comfortable enough considering the vessel's daily operations.
The delivery of Green Wave was just one of the highlights that made 2022 a fruitful year for the Cooper Group and its subsidiaries. Others include Blakeley BoatWorks becoming eligible for MARAD Small Shipyard Grant Program funding, allowing the company to invest in additional equipment to modernise its shipyard facilities, and Cooper Marine and Timberlands becoming the exclusive barge fleeting and shifting service provider for Yellow Creek State Inland Port, located at the intersection of the Tennessee River and Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, recognised as a strategic interchange on the US inland waterway system.
Construction of new Cooper vessels is also progressing well, with one of these being a new tug slated to enter service with subsidiary Crescent Towing within this year.
For a list of the 2022 "Best Of" award winners, please click here.
