2001

The ALAFIA and her tug, KELLY are operated by International Ship Management Services of New Jersey. The ALAFIA is a liguid molten sulfur barge, owned by Cargill, Inc., an internationally known company dealing in all manner of agriproducts and minerals.

Originally--as a towed tug and barge--this unit encountered significant weather delays. ISMS came to OT&BE to find a solution to this problem. The best solution was deemed to be a refit of the Bludworth connection system to the tug and barge.

Since her refit, downtime due to weather delays have been virtually zero, and the unit not only is more reliable as to ETA and transit times, but speed has increased, as has crew comfort—and the unit is making more trips per year and generating additional income . This Bludworth conversion is similar to one down on the Penn Maritime vessels AMBERJACK/BISCAYNE. Specially designed skegs were developed by OT&BE through advanced structural design methods and applied to the barge.  J. Cook Marine in turn engineered a Bludworth pad and bow unit design for the tug, and OT&BE coordinated the effort. The end result is a more productive, safer, and livable unit.