Top to Bottom 1. Here is the talk of the River, the m/v Mississippi. She is the largest towing vessel I have ever seen. There may be one or two larger, but if so, I don't know about 'em. From her five full height decks to her enormous pilot house, to all those windows on her second deck which are probably her galley, dining room, and lounge, she is definitely one of a kind. One note of interest is for her size, she is under powered. Her specifications are below. There are vessels smaller in size with almost double the horsepower. The m/v Mississippi was built in 1993 in Moss Point, Mississippi by Halter Marine, Inc. She is a triple screw towboat/inspection vessel, powered by three Caterpillar 3606TA diesel engines which combined produce 6270 horsepower. Her hull dimensions are 58' wide x 240' long and she is equipped with "kort nozzles". She has been owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Memphis, Tennessee.Photo Courtesy & Property of Mike [MacGyver] Kenny. 2. When it comes to being unique, you can't accuse the folks in Slidell, Louisiana of being like everybody else. The "Pitcairn" is definitely one of a kind. The m/v Pitcairn (a.k.a. "the Flying Nun") was built in 1962 by Southern Shipbuilding Corporation in Slidell, Louisiana. Her assigned hull number is 287518. Her twin screws are propelled by twoF-M 38F5 1/4 diesel engines which produce 800 horsepower. She is built on a 24' wide x 70' long hull. Originally owned by Stahl Towing Co. in New Orleans, Louisiana, she was sold during 1962 to Neshoba Corp. in New Orleans. Jack Neilson, Inc. in Harvey, Louisiana bought her in 1966. Then in 1967, she was sold to Central Marine Service, Inc. In 1988, Central Marine merged into Canal Barge Co., her current owner. "Pitcairn" is the only name she has worn since 1962. Photo Courtesy & Property of Mike [MacGyver] Kenny. 3. Pictured here is the old m/v Tom Sawyer. (This is not the Casino Boat.) She is an old wooden towboat that has been renovated and is now a private home. Rumor has it that she is for sale. But that is only rumor. As seen here, she is moored at Victoria Bend on the Lower Mississippi River on the left descending bank facing N/B just below the bend. Note the wood burning fireplace evident by the stone chimney between what used to be the two engine room windows on her port side. Photo Courtesy & Property of Mike [MacGyver] Kenny. 4. I have no information on this one other than that this is the Sunshine Ferry. She is a passenger, auto, and truck ferry. And she is pictured here crossing the Mississippi River. I crossed on her back in '95 when this photo was taken. The only thing I remember is that she is one of two ferry's that cross the river South of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Photo Courtesy & Property of Mike [MacGyver] Kenny. 5. Towboats push a variety of cargo, to include oversized loads. A tractor-trailer load can be no taller than 13'6" tall from the asphalt. A towing vessel has no restrictions to size or weight like a semi-truck does, so as long as the cargo can be transported safely, and can clear any bridges or power lines which may cross the River in its path, the load will be delivered. Sometimes, to help get the cargo under certain bridges, the barge will need ballast (water pumped into the stern and bow tanks in the barge hull) to cause the barge to sit lower in the river. After clearing the bridge, the ballast water is pumped back out into the River. I don't know what this cargo is. But to give an idea in scale as to its size; that is a full-size, extended cab GMC pickup truck sitting on the barge behind the load. Photo Courtesy & Property of Mike [MacGyver] Kenny. 6. Its true.....size doesn't matter. If the vessel has enough horse power to push it, then all there is to worry about is whether or not the cargo will clear the upcoming bridge, as seen here pushing the crane barge Cappy Bisso S/B on the Harvey Canal approaching the West Bank Expressway just South of the Harvey Lock and the Mississippi River. Photo Courtesy & Property of Mike (MacGyver) Kenny. 7. There is almost nothing that can't be moved on the River. If it can be made to float, somebody will find a way to move it. Like the rig in this photo, it took two boats to move it safely. But here they are with a mammoth sized piece of equipment E/B on the Algiers Canal in Belle Chasse, Louisiana. Photo Courtesy & Property of Mike (MacGyver) Kenny. 8. This is the m/v Joe McAlister on the Tennessee River waiting to make Kentucky Lock and Dam upbound. This photo was taken from atop of the lower gates over looking the Mighty Joe "light boat" tied on the wall waiting lockage. Photo Courtesy & Property of Mike (MacGyver) Kenny. 9. This is the view from the stern of the m/v Joe McAlister, hull number 569720, up on the second deck, looking forward. "Of all the vessels I have ever worked, she is my all time favorite." MacGyver. Photo Courtesy & Property of Mike (MacGyver) Kenny. 10. The m/v Joe McAlister was built in Greenville, Mississippi by Greenville Shipbuilding Corporation in 1976. Her assigned hull number is 569720 and she measures 34' wide x 116' long. She is powered by two General Motors/Electro-Motive Division16-567BC diesel engines which produces a total of 3200 horsepower. Originally named Lucille by the shipyard where she was built, her name was changed to Joe McAlister when she was purchased by McAlister Construction Co. in Memphis, Tennessee during 1976. In 1991, she was sold to Reco Transportation in Gilbertsville/Grand Rivers, Kentucky. She is now leased by Canal Barge Co. in New Orleans, Louisiana, and still wears the name "Joe McAlister". (Personal Note: Of all the vessels I've been on, the "Mighty Joe" is my all time favorite. MacGyver.) In this photo, the m/v Joe McAlister is seen S/B on the Mississippi River at Memphis, Tennessee on a rainy day. Photo Courtesy & Property of Mike (MacGyver) Kenny.
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