Metal Shark Alabama delivers towboat to Florida Marine Transporters

Metal Shark Boats’ Bayou La Batre, Alabama shipyard has delivered a new river towboat to Florida Marine Transporters (FMT) of Mandeville, Louisiana.

Designed by John W. Gilbert Associates, Stephanie Pasentine is the first inland towboat to be built by Louisiana-based Metal Shark Boats as well as the first ever newbuild to be completed at its Alabama shipyard.

Stephanie Pasentine has a length of 36.5 metres, a beam of 10.6 metres, and two Caterpillar 3512C 1,500kW diesel engines.

The new towboat is the first delivery in a three-vessel contract with FMT announced in late 2018, signaling Metal Shark’s entry into the inland commercial sector following its acquisition of the assets of Horizon Shipbuilding earlier that year.