Maritime Reporter, August 1977

<BODY> <div> Newest Addition To ACBL Towboat Fleet Named For Texas Gas Transmission President t The motor vessel Dennis Hendrix, newest 8,400-hp vessel to join the fleet of Ameri- can Commercial Barge Line Company, is decorated for christening ceremonies. The motor vessel Dennis Hen- drix, a new 8,400-horsepower tow- boat in the fleet of American Commercial Barge Line Company, was christened in ceremonies Sat- urday, July 16, at the riverfront in Owensboro, Ky. The vessel, which is equal to the largest and most powerful tow- boats operated by ACBL, the prin- cipal operating company in the Inland Waterways Services Divi- sion of Texas Gas Transmission Corporation, was named to honor Texas Gas president Dennis Hen- drix. The ceremony was held at the foot of Frederica Street, where the new towboat was docked. Mas- ter of ceremonies was H. J. Bob- zien Jr., president of the Inland Waterways Services Division. J. W. Hershey, chairman of Ameri- can Commercial Lines, Inc., and a member of the Texas Gas board of directors, was the principal speak- er. The highlight of the traditional ceremonies was the actual chris- tening of the towboat, at which time the sponsor, Mrs. Jennie Hendrix, broke a bottle of cham- pagne over a capstan on the for- ward deck and officially named the vessel in honor of her hus- band. The Dennis Hendrix is the sixth ACBL towboat in the 8,400-horse- power series. It will join 51 other towboats in the ACBL fleet, which also includes approximately 1,500 barges, in moving tows of various types of freight on the inland waterways. The Hendrix was con- structed by Jeffboat, Incorporated of Jeffersonville, Ind., and was launched there May 28 to undergo final outfitting while it floated on the Ohio River. Jeffboat also is a unit in the Inland Waterways Ser- vices Division of Texas Gas. The Hendrix, like the other tow- boats in the 8,400-horsepower series, is a triple-screw craft cap- able of moving barge tows of 50,000 tons or more. The vessel's three diesel engines, which will generate 2,800 horsepower each, turn three five-bladed propellers that are 9 feet 2 inches in diame- ter. Three steering rudders and six flanking rudders, all stream- line, are operated by independent hydraulic systems. The vessel is 180 feet long and 52 feet wide. Dennis Hendrix, president of Texas Gas Transmission Corporation, receives con- gratulations following the christening of the towboat named for him. The cere- mony was held at Owensboro, Ky., home of Texas Gas's general offices. Equipment aboard the Hendrix provides outstanding features of safety, handling ease, and crew comfort. Highly sophisticated communications and ship-control equipment includes radar, digital depth indicator, and swing-o- meter. Closed-circuit television enables the vessel's captain or the pilot on duty to maintain a constant visual check on the engine room and other areas of the towboat. Paul-Munroe Acquires Rucker Marine Systems Paul-Munroe Hydraulics, Inc., Orange, Calif., has acquired cer- tain products of the Rucker Ma- rine Systems Division, including intrinsically safe valve control sys- tems, rotary flow-through deck stand valve operators, U.S. Navy Fast Systems, and specialized hy- draulic equipment for ro/ro con- tainerships. This acquisition adds additional marine equipment designs to Paul- Munroe's already impressive cap- abilities, which rank the company as one of the leading suppliers of cargo control systems, deck ma- chinery hydraulic drives, central hydraulic power units and hy- draulic steering systems. Paul-Munroe's new 50,000- square-foot facility in Orange, Calif., will handle the additional production provided by this ac- quisition. This facility currently produces specialized hydraulic control equipment for the marine, nuclear and process industries in both the U.S. and foreign markets. The California market is served in depth through Customer Service Centers conveniently located in Sacramento, San Francisco, Bak- ersfield, Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego. The ac- quisition will further increase Paul-Munroe's capabilities to pro- vide total service to California's diverse fluid power markets. For further information regard- ing Paul-Munroe/Rucker marine hydraulic equipment, contact Lar- ry Cloward, Paul-Munroe Hydraul- ics, Inc., Marine Marketing Di- vision, 1901 West Sequoia Avenue, Orange, Calif. 92668. Flume Stabilization Names Peter Maschke Peter C. Maschke Flume Stabilization Systems, a division of John J. McMullen As- sociates, Inc., has announced the appointment of Peter C. Maschke as sales manager of the division. Mr. Maschke's responsibilities will include sales of the Flume and Elektrofin Roll Stabilization Sys- tems, the White Gill Bow Thrust- er, and the Becker Rudder throughout the United States and in Latin America. Mr. Maschke has been employed by McMullen Associates in their domestic and overseas offices for more than 10 years. Prior to join- ing McMullen Associates, Mr. Maschke held sales positions with the Maryland Shipbuilding and Drydock Company and the Ameri- can Ship Building Company, and engineering positions with a num- ber of marine consulting com- panies. Mr. Maschke is an associate member of The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. Mr. Maschke will continue to make his headquarters at 820 Threadneedle No. 249, Houston, Texas 77079, and will make reg- ular visits to the market areas under his responsibility. Flume Stabilization Systems is the division of John J. McMullen Associates responsible for sales and services of the Flume and Elektrofin Roll Stabilization Sys- tems, the White Gill Bow Thruster and Becker Rudder on a world- wide basis. McMullen Associates is an engineering consulting com- pany serving the marine trans- portation industry in the areas of naval architecture, marine engi- neering, transportation economics and project management. Champagne sprays into the air as Mrs. Jennie Hendrix christens the motor vessel Dennis Hendrix, named for her husband, in ceremonies at the Owensboro river- front. Mr. Hendrix is president of Texas Gas Transmission Corporation, and the 8,400-hp towboat will join the fleet of American Commercial Barge Line, the principal operating company in Texas Gas's Inland Waterways Services Division. Others in the picture (from left) are: Capt. Mack Hester, captain of the vessel, and Mrs. Hester; H. J. Bobzien Jr., president of the Inland Waterways Services Division of Texas Gas; Comdr. Lee Gregg, of the United States Coast Guard; Capt. J. D. Wof- ford, vice president of barging operations, American Commercial Barge Line Com- pany, and Dr. William G. Walker, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church at Owens- boro, who gave the invocation. 10 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News </div> <span id="lblContents"></span> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.digitalwavepublishing.com/" title="Digital Magazine">Digital Wave Publishing</a> </BODY>