Weeks Marine repowers crew boat with first Cummins X15 engines

A Weeks Marine aluminum crewboat, the Joseph M, originally delivered in 1982, has been repowered with the first pair of the new Cummins X15 marine engines.

The X15 has been launched to meet a growing demand for an engine to fit in the niche between the Cummins eleven-liter QSM11 and the ever-popular 19-liter QSK19.

The new 15-liter, six cylinder, in-line engines installed in the Joseph M are rated at 575 HP at 1,800 RPM and replaced a pair of 450 HP 12V71 diesels. The US EPA 3 and IMO Tier II certified engines turn 32-inch 5-blade propellers on 2.5-inch shafts, through Twin Disc MG514B gears with 2:1 reduction. Both of the new engines have front mounted hydraulic steering pumps.

The repower was completed by the Weeks crew at Dulac Shipyard.

The repowered crew boat achieved 21 knots on sea trials and is anticipated to show a 20 percent fuel savings over the previous engines. Work for the 24-passenger boat includes transferring passengers and light equipment to dredges working in the Northeast of the U.S. out of the port of Barnegat, NJ.