Cummins repowers the Lord Nelson

The 368 ton Lord Nelson is subject to regular maintenance programmes, and as part of the latest 144 day winter refit of the ship in Southampton’s Western Docks, the Jubilee Sailing Trust required the replacement of the existing twin 260hp twin power plants and expert voluntary assistance for the installation of the new hardware.

The engines play a vital role in the annual voyage schedule of the vessel, propelling the ship nearly 10,000 miles every year, primarily in the absence of the wind and during the navigation of ports and rivers. The subsidised nautical excursions provided by the charitable organisation, takes 2,000 adults of all physical abilities around the waters of the United Kingdom, Western Europe, the Canary Islands and the Caribbean every year.

The Jubilee Sailing Trust commissioned Cummins MerCruiser Diesel’s technology to deliver a reliable powertrain solution through two EPA Marine Tier 2 compliant 225 hp 5.9 litre six cylinder, four stroke QSB230 heavy duty diesel propulsion units, featuring a high pressure common rail fuel system designed to eliminate both white and black start-up smoke. The six cylinder QSB5.9 series equally includes a water cooled exhaust manifold and turbine housing, in addition to front mounted fuel and lubrication filters for ease of access.

The JST engineers were aided in the installation of the new propulsion equipment by a team of six highly experienced engineers from the local Hamble Marina based dedicated Cummins UK Marine Centre, who all donated their time free of charge to the Jubilee Sailing Trust.

The configuration of the power units was completed with the integration of a SmartCraft instrumentation display, and Cummins MerCruiser Diesel’s electronic throttle and shift (ETS), which permits personnel at the helm of the Lord Nelson to have total control over the entire propulsion system with synchronised port and starboard engine speeds.

Delighted with the installation and the support shown by Cummins UK during the recent refit of the Lord Nelson, JST engineering manager Mark Drew said, ‘We are extremely grateful for the hard work and dedication shown by the team from Cummins UK Marine Centre during the latest refit. It is this kind of generosity that allows us to continue to meet our charitable aims.’