Benny Cenac, Houma Businessman, Announces Completion of Kirby Boat Build

05 Feb Benny Cenac, Houma Businessman, Announces Completion of Kirby Boat Build

Benny Cenac, Houma businessman and Owner of Cenac Marine Services, recently announced the completion of the first out of three 2,680-hp towboats the Houma shipyard is building for Kirby Inland Marineout of Houston, TX.

The vessel, named the MV. Bailey, is a Subchapter M-certified, Sterling Marine design and measures 88 feet by 35 feet, with a molded depth of 12 feet 2 inches and a draft of 9 feet. It is powered by a pair of Caterpillar 3512C-HD diesel engines, turning 1,340-hp at 1,600 rpm each through Twin Disc MG-5600 gears with 6.04:1 reduction ratios and a shaft braking system. The ship’s service power is provided by two John Deere 99-KW generators and can carry 40,434 gallons of fuel, 8,000 gallons of potable water, and 800 gallons of lube and gear oil.

Mr. Benny Cenac voiced his thanks for the partnership between Main Iron Works and Kirby Corporation, particularly for the impact it has had in the Houma, La. community. “In this economy, it is important to keep industry jobs on a local level. Cenac Marine Services and Main Iron Works are honored to have a part in that,” stated Cenac.

Mr. Arlen Benny Cenac Jr. is the owner of both Main Iron Works and Cenac Marine Services in Houma. He is also a philanthropist in the community of Houma and the surrounding areas where he is contented to see his fellow community members flourishing with work and volunteer opportunities as well.

The vessel has accommodations for a crew of up to eight passengers. The Waterways Journal explained in this recent article that the deck equipment includes a Rawson Koenig deck crane, two 40-ton Nabrico Hydra electric deck winches, and a car puller capstan system. In the wheelhouse is an electronics suite featuring two Furuno 2117 BB/AC 12-kW radars with 19” flat screen monitors, a FA-150 AIS transponder with GPS, BR500 bridge navigational watch alarm system, LH3000 loudhailer, RD33 data display/GP33 GPS receiver and a 235 DT transducer. Other electronics include two standard GX5500S VHF radios, a Jotron CIS 3000 command intercom with talk back and Dehart RZ630 swing meter, and a Richie HE 845 magnetic compass.

“It is a pleasure working with Main Iron Works on the construction of one of the first Subchapter M towboats being built,” John Sansing, Senior Vice President of Maintenance for Kirby, said in a recent statement. “We appreciate Main Iron Works’ professionalism and work ethic.”

In a recent article written by Workboat, it is said that, “One of the nation’s largest tank barge operators, Kirby has about 1,000 inland tank barges and 300 towboats that are used to transport a variety of petrochemicals, refined products, oils and liquid fertilizers along the U.S. inland waterway network, including the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, the Mississippi, Illinois and Ohio rivers, and other smaller waterways.”

For more information on Main Iron Works or the work that Benny Cenac and his team are accomplishing with their construction, repair and repowering of marine vessels and barges, click here.

For more information on Kirby Corporation, click here.