The 19BB (Barrier Boat) is a type of small

tugboat A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, suc ...

used by the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

. They were built by Chuck's Boat and Drive of

Longview, Washington Longview is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, Cowlitz County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. It is the principal city of the Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cowlitz County. Longvie ...

, in 2002 to deploy and maintain port security booms surrounding Navy ships and installations in port. The first boat of the 13-boat order was delivered in January 2003. Originally designed to

raft A raft is any flat structure for support or transportation over water. It is usually of basic design, characterized by the absence of a hull. Rafts are usually kept afloat by using any combination of buoyant materials such as wood, sealed barre ...

and pull floating logs for the commercial logging industry, the Barrier Boats are affectionately known as the ''Boomin Beaver'' by the sailors who operate them. Chuck's Boats founder Chuck Slape had decades of experience building rugged boats serving the

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coast booming grounds. The powerful little boats were known as "log broncs" due to the boat's action from the popular azimuth drive, which would cause the boat to rear up like a rodeo horse when the props were spun around 180 degrees. The 19BB features a

Cummins Cummins Inc. is an American multinational corporation, multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and distributes engines, electric vehicle components, and power generation products. Cummins also services engines and related equipmen ...

6BTA pod-mounted engine paired with a ZF 4:1 reduction marine transmission powering a conventional propeller with a nozzle. The

L-drive An L-drive is a type of azimuth thruster where the electric motor is mounted vertically, removing the second bevel gear from the drivetrain. Azimuth thruster pods can be rotated through a full 360 degrees, allowing for rapid changes in thrust dire ...

configuration allows the boat to turn in 1.5 times its length, and delivers of bollard pull. The

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auctioned one 19BB previously stationed at NSB Kings Bay in 2006, and remaining examples are still in use at the

Boston Navy Yard The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. It was established in 1801 as part of the recent establishment of t ...

Naval Base Kitsap Naval Base Kitsap is a United States Navy, U.S. Navy base located on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington (state), Washington state, created in 2004 by merging the former Naval Station Bremerton with Naval Submarine Base Bangor. It is the home ba ...

Naval Station Norfolk Naval Station Norfolk is a United States Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia, that is the headquarters and home port of the U.S. Navy's Fleet Forces Command. The installation occupies about of waterfront space and of pier and wharf space of the Ham ...

Naval Base Point Loma Naval Base Point Loma (NBPL) is a United States Navy base in Point Loma, a neighborhood of San Diego, California. It was established on 1 October 1998 when Navy facilities in the Point Loma area of San Diego were consolidated under Commander, N ...

, and

United States Fleet Activities Sasebo U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo is a United States Navy base, in Sasebo, Japan, on the island of Kyūshū. It provides facilities for the logistic support of forward-deployed units and visiting operating forces of the United States Pacific Fleet a ...

References

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External links

The Ridiculously Small Vessel the US Navy Can't Live Without
via

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Auxiliary ships of the United States Equipment of the United States Navy Military boats Ships built in Washington (state) Tugs of the United States Navy