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West Virginia Belle is the latest addition in owner Bob Kehl's fleet. Mr. Kehl owns Robert's River Rides, which operates three other excursion/dinner boats on the Mis- sissippi River in the Quad Cities, Dubuque and Bettendorf areas of Iowa and Illinois. Built by Patti Shipyards, Inc., Pensacola, Fla., and designed by their own in-house architectural staff, the West Virginia Belle meas- ures 197 feet 9 inches by 46 feet with a 10-foot draft. She features two totally enclosed decks, a partially enclosed third deck, and an open fourth deck topped by a pilothouse. Although the boat will be certified for at least 1,200 passengers, but capacity will be limited to 1,000 on all-day 100-mile trips. While the 500-hp KTA-19 en- gines are one of the standard work- horses of the Cummins marine die- sel line, the propulsion system aboard the West Virginia Belle is unique. For example, the Columbian Ka- plan-style propellers are enclosed in Padget-Swann kort nozzles. "That's a first for passenger excursion ves- sels as far as we are concerned," said Frank Patti, owner of Patti Ship- yard. Another important aspect of the propulsion system is its vibration • -. «* t - Fixed nozzle systems 1 • \ H j? / \\\ f Towmaster system 11 / ; M/ The Towmaster Nozzle/Rudder System can cut your turning circle by 70% f your vessel has a ducted propeller ystem, Michigan Wheel's Towmaster •Jozzle/Rudder System can give you dramatic improvement in maneuver- ability and turning effi- ciency. In fact, if your vessel presently has a fixed nozzle system, tests prove the Towmaster Nozzle/ Judder System could reduce your trning circle by 70%. If yours is an pen propeller system, you can expect n improvement of up to 60%. he Towmaster can give you this kind f performance because of its unique iple-rudder design. Each rudder, by self, produces a higher lift-to-drag ratio tan conventional centerline rudders. Turning diameter test results ing Grcles — Diameters Based upon single screw results And because the Towmaster also re- duces rudder torque and makes more efficient use of propeller thrust, vessel operation is easier and less fatiguing. The Michigan Wheel Towmaster Nozzle/ Rudder System. It's proven its ability to increase maneuverability and overall operating efficiency in over 100 applica- tions. To learn how it can do the same for you, contact Michigan Wheel for complete facts and the name of the distributor nearest to you. Michi on Together, they create a cascade effect that can allow 60° helm angles before rudder stall occurs. Circle 154 on Reader Service Card 1501 Buchanan Ave. S.W. Grand Rapids, MI 49507 Phone (616) 452-6941 Telex 6877077 MIMOT UW isolation system, supplied by Lo Rez Vibration Control, British Colum- bia, Canada. This system provides an effective isolation system for en- gine-sourced vibration in medium- and high-speed marine engines, re- ducing noise by 90 percent over the entire speed range of the engine. It was custom designed for this appli- cation by Lo Rez working with the Patti design staff and Cummins en- gineering. Two additional Cummins engines are located far forward to power a pair of 250-kw gensets. Cummins NT855 models were chosen for this job. All five Cummins engines were sold by Northern Iowa Diesel, Du- buque, Iowa. The hydraulic system onboard the boat was supplied by Custom Hydraulics, Gretna, La. A PTO, at- tached to one of the gensets, runs a hydraulic pump that powers the bowthruster. Separate electric mo- tors powering hydraulic pumps op- erate the steering system, and the paddlewheel lifting system. The West Virginia Belle has a cosmetic paddlewheel that can be lifted out of the water to cut drag during times when the boat is underway at full speed. WEST VIRGINIA BELLE Equipment List Main engines (3) Cummins Propellers Columbian Bronze Kort nozzles Padget-Swann Generator engines Cummins Reduction gears Twin Disc Engine controls Mathers Steering controls Custom Hydraulics Bowthruster Arcturu Vibration isolation Lo Rez Radar Furuno Depth sounder Datamarine Pumps Scott Water purifier Aquafine Sewage treatment systems Microphor Rounding out the selections for "Outstanding Passenger Vessels of 1988," are the previously featured "Outstanding Shallow-Draft Pas- senger Vessels of 1988." These ves- sels were highlighted in the August 1988 issue of MARITIME RE- PORTER. Here, once again, is a brief glimpse at these notable craft. ANNABEL LEE Dinner/Cruise Riverboat Builder: Service Marine Industries, Inc., Morgan City, La. Owner/Operator: Heritage Cruise Lines, Richmond, Va. Main Particulars: Overall Length: 108 feet: Beam: 34 feet; Draft: 3 feet 9 inches; Passenger capacity: 600. Main engines: Two rebuilt GM8V-92 diesels rated at 310 hp each at 1,800 rpm. Equipment List: Generators KATO Generator engines GM Reduction gears Twin Disc A/C Carrier Paint International Paint Music system Aiphone Ceiling Armstrong Electrical panel Power Panels Windows Southern Glass 22 Circle 180 on Reader Service Card Maritime Reporter/Engineering News
