VESSEL REVIEW | John Paul Eckstein – Marquette Transportation welcomes new pusher tug to Mississippi River fleet

Marquette Transportation Company of Paducah, Kentucky, recently took delivery of a new inland pusher tug built by C&C Marine and Repair of Belle Chasse, Louisiana.

John Paul Eckstein honours Marquette Transportation’s former President and current Executive Chairman. The all-steel newbuild has a length of 189 feet (57.6 metres), a beam of 50 feet (15 metres), a draught of 10 feet (three metres), a depth of 12 feet (3.7 feet), a gross tonnage of 1,467, and accommodation for up to 12 crewmembers.

“She is a modern, high-horsepower linehaul vessel built for the Mississippi River corridor service,” C&C told Baird Maritime. “In this size and horsepower class, ACBL Mariner is the only other comparable vessel currently operating, which places John Paul Eckstein in a very small ‘top-tier” category of inland towboats.

“What’s especially interesting is that while this was our second 10,000hp (7,000kW) delivery (after ACBL Mariner), she was built roughly 10 feet shorter, which naturally raised questions about how the hull would perform with that amount of horsepower.”

The builder said those questions were answered during river trials. Once underway, the vessel ran smoothly and handled well, which validated the design and build execution.

Built for heavy-duty operations in inland waters

“The expectation on a project like this is straightforward: deliver a quality vessel, on schedule, engineered to match the owner’s operating profile,” said C&C.

“For a customer like Marquette, reliability and durability are non-negotiable because these boats are expected to work continuously in demanding river conditions. That’s why strong front-end engineering matters so much—good planning and solid design decisions made early are what keep construction moving efficiently and help ensure the finished vessel performs the way it’s supposed to perform.”

The formal brief was for a large, all-welded steel, diesel-powered twin-screw vessel suitable for push towing on inland and intracoastal waterways, with accommodation and support services sized for sustained linehaul work. The specifications also established berthing and messing for 12 crewmembers plus capacity for up to two additional personnel, which necessitated the multi-deckhouse arrangement, hotel services, and onboard systems scope.

“The vessel is intended for linehaul push towing on the inland system, with public coverage describing service between St Louis and New Orleans. Day to day, that means moving loaded barge tows along the river corridor, managing tow configurations, working around traffic and changing river conditions, and maintaining schedule reliability.”

The size, installed power, and onboard systems are aligned with sustained operations where the vessel is expected to run continuously and remain self-sufficient between planned service intervals.

“She fills the role of a top-tier, high-horsepower linehaul asset—adding the capability to move heavy tows efficiently and reliably in demanding river conditions,” C&C told Baird Maritime.

“In fleet terms, a vessel in this class provides more pushing margin and operational resilience, helping reduce delay risk and improving service continuity for customers. Because there are very few vessels of this class in operation, it also represents a meaningful step up in capacity and performance for long-haul inland towing.”

Power for the tug is provided by two Caterpillar C280-12 5,000hp (3,700kW) engines. The engines drive Kort nozzle-housed HS Marine 122-inch (3,100mm), five-bladed stainless steel propellers via Reintjes WAF 6755H gearboxes. There is also a tow-handling rudder arrangement that includes four steering and four flanking rudders. The propellers work in conjunction with the rudders to provide thrust and control optimised for pushing work.

About 40 feet (12 metres) of shafting was used, which necessitated added attention to shaft-line support and alignment in the design.

“The propulsion setup is notable because it’s clearly optimised for heavy linehaul performance and tow control,” said C&C. “The wheels in nozzles paired with flanking rudders are a hallmark of a towboat built for serious pushing power and precise handling.

Full electronics suite

“What’s also distinctive is the engineering attention required by the long driveline—supporting and aligning a roughly 40-foot shaft line is a meaningful design and build challenge that directly affects vibration, efficiency, and long-term reliability.”

The vessel specifications called for a comprehensive electronics suite suited to continuous linehaul operation. The electronics therefore include AIS, dual Furuno radar capability with open-array antennas, a bridge navigational watch alarm system, depth-related equipment, a weather station, satellite communications capability, multiple VHF radios, and supporting tools such as a swing meter.

The electronics package is paired with a wheelhouse design that prioritises visibility and glare control, supporting safe operation day and night.

“The standout theme behind the electronics selection is redundancy and completeness for long-haul operations. Combined with the visibility-driven pilothouse concept, the electronics package supports safe, efficient running in the real-world conditions that define inland linehaul work.”

Working deck laid out for enhanced efficiency and fatigue reduction

The deck equipment includes a Wintech vertical through-deck capstan, 12 roller buttons, six 65-ton electric winches from Patterson Manufacturing, and two 40-ton manual winches. The deck and fittings were also specified with durability in mind, with foundations and attachments designed to withstand repeated line and cable loads without permanent distortion.

“From a crew perspective, the sprung deck arrangement is an unusual and noteworthy comfort feature that helps minimise transmitted movement and supports crew well-being during long assignments,” C&C remarked.

Fuel, freshwater, lube oil and gear oil capacities are 120,000 gallons (450,000 litres), 16,000 gallons (61,000 litres), 2,000 gallons (7,600 litres) and 1,000 gallons (3,800 litres), respectively. The tug also features Eagle Control Systems engine alarms, Hiller smoke/heat detectors and fire suppression equipment, a Duramax engine cooling system, and fendering from Schuyler Maritime.

C&C said that, beyond integrating a high-power propulsion plant into a working tug arrangement, one of the biggest challenges in the vessel’s construction was supporting the shaft line.

Valuable insights gleaned in large module assembly techniques

“With a shaft approaching 40 feet in length, alignment, deflection control, and bearing/support design become far more sensitive than on a typical vessel, and getting it right is critical to reliability, vibration control, and long-term wear performance,” the builder told Baird Maritime.

“At the same time, the design had to stay operator- and crew-friendly for long-haul service, including wheelhouse visibility priorities and comfort features such as the sprung deck arrangement.”

Challenges also became evident in managing equipment delivery timelines, especially those of the propellers.

“That becomes a real problem because you can’t properly launch and finish out a vessel until the shafts and wheels are installed and blue-fitted, and it’s a critical step in the build sequence. Even with the delays, the team worked through it and still met the delivery deadline.”

On John Paul Eckstein, the superstructure was designed as a five-story unit containing accommodation, electronics, steering systems, and other spaces, all mounted on vibration isolators. That isolator design allowed the entire superstructure to be fully built and painted as a stand-alone module and then set onto the hull as one complete section.

“The superstructure weighed roughly 210 tons, and instead of bringing in a derrick lift, the team engineered an in-house lift using four cranes. The challenge with a lift of that scale is the initial pickup and ensuring the cranes load evenly; in this case, the house was staged about eight feet (2.4 metres) off the ground and one crane hit its maximum capacity immediately, creating a serious issue that had to be managed in real time.”

C&C said that its construction ultimately landed the superstructure successfully, and that the experience reinforced the importance of detailed planning, lift engineering, and tight coordination when handling large modular sections.