How to power a twin screw pushboat?

[Big Builder]

Hello,

I am currently planning to build a twin screw steel pushboat for our barging company.
I plan to follow a very simple and much used design of 12' wide by 25' long basically a steel "box" much like the barges we have built ourselves.
THe design and fabrication of the basic vessel itself is not so much of a problem for.

I have no experience with installing the engines, drives, sizing the driveshafts, props. controls. cooling etc.

With this email I am mostly hoping to introduce our project and will need to look for much advice in this forum.

The engines and transmissions are readily available here and I plan to use two 4 cylinder diesel engines ( 200hp) each.

I do not have any digital design ability so I will need to discuss with pictures I post.

BB

 

[rayman]

BigBuilder, just build one of your boxes and drop a pair of skid mounted power units on deck. Look up "Truckee" tugs, I think they are down Florida way. and its all b/s that you have to have handed units, I drove for many years a triple screw tug with all props swinging lefthanded and single rudder in the middle.

 

[Big Builder]

Rayman,

Sorry for the long wait to thank you but I have been out of touch.

I have had to change my approach completely ...we are now going to power out pushboats with a couple of four stroke outboards and see how it worrks. Won't be in the same class as diesel but after we priced all the compnents of a diesel it was simply out of reach. Thanks again for your thoughts.