The dustpan dredge Potter is the oldest active-service dredge on the Mississippi. It began its duties in 1932, just two years after the River and Habors Act and a year and a half before any other dredge. When it launched, the Potter was steam-powered and required its own dedicated fuel barge to help it maintain river miles 0 to 300. The Potter ran for 70 years before being "repowered" in 2001.
The process of "Repowering" a dredge is, actually just what it sounds like. "Fuel oil consumption was so high with the steam plant that we had to refuel almost daily, so we needed two barges—one to refuel the dredge and another to refuel itself," says First Mate Terry Bequette. So, a team from Halter Marine, Inc., the company contracted with the rennovation, tore out the steam plant and replaced it with three Caterpillar 3516B 1,825-kilowatt diesel generators (two for operation and one standby) that run a 600-volt main bus.
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