The United States Navy's 19BB (Barrier Boat) was built by Chuck's Boat and Drive of Longview, Washington 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.[1]
 19BB "Boomin Beaver" next to the USS Constitution
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | 19BB (Barrier Boat) |
| Builders | Chuck's Boat and Drive |
| Operators |  United States Navy |
| In service | 2003–present |
| Planned | 13 |
| Active | 10 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Tugboat |
| Displacement | 22,000 lb (10,000 kg) |
| Length | 19 ft (5.8 m) |
| Beam | 10 ft (3.0 m) |
| Draught | 5.5 ft (1.7 m) |
| Propulsion | Cummins 6BTA 5.9l |
| Complement | 3 |
Originally designed to raft 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.[2]
Chuck's Boats founder Chuck Slape had decades of experience building rugged boats serving the Pacific Northwest coast booming grounds. The powerful little 12- to 16-ft 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.[1]
The 19BB features a 260 hp Cummins 6BTA 5.9l pod mounted engine paired with a ZF 4:1 reduction marine transmission powering a conventional propeller with a 36-in. nozzle. The L-drive configuration allows the boat to turn in 1.5 times its length, and delivers 7,000 to 7,500 pounds of bollard pull.[1]
The General Services Administration auctioned one 19BB previously stationed at NSB Kings Bay in 2006, and remaining examples are still in use at the Boston Navy Yard, Naval Base Kitsap, Naval Station Norfolk, Naval Base Point Loma, and United States Fleet Activities Sasebo.[3][4][5]
References
edit- ^ a b c "From Log Booms to Port Security Booms". Marine Link. 20 November 2002.
- ^ Roza, David (6 October 2020). "Meet the Navy's most adorable boat". Task & Purpose.
- ^ "19 FOOT BARRIER BOAT". GSA Auctions. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
- ^ Mizokami, Kyle (25 August 2020). "This Little Baby Boat May Be the Smallest Ship in the Navy". Popular Mechanics.
- ^ PO3 Palasti, Kyle (5 October 2017). "Barrier Boat Maintenance". dvids. U.S. Department of Defense.
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