The winter of 2018 saw the trailing suction hopper dredge Magdalen vacuuming sand from a borrow site off the coast of Surf City, N.J., and pumping it ashore to replace a 20-foot-high dune reclaimed by the ocean during Hurricane Sandy’s hungry visit in 2012.
The 356-foot dredge, built by Eastern Shipbuilding in Panama City, Fla., had recently joined R.N. Weeks and B.E. Lindholm in the Weeks Marine hopper dredge fleet (American Ship Review 2019). In the summer of 2020, Magdalen nourished the beaches and dunes at Sea Bright and Long Branch on the Jersey shore.
In mid-August, the vessel was scheduled to travel to Hampton Roads, Va., to join the ongoing project “to deepen and widen the Thimble Shoal Channel leading to Virginia Port Authority-owned public terminals, many private marine terminals, and the world’s largest naval base (at Norfolk),” said Mark Sickles, director of corporate and government relations for Weeks Marine.
Magdalen was designed specifically for U.S. coastal dredging conditions by Netherlands-based Royal IHC. It has a hopper capacity of 8,550 cubic yards, more than the combined volume of its two fleet mates. With a hull form that includes a large bulbous bow, Magdalen also has the edge in speed and fuel efficiency — the money in dredging is in dredging, not steaming between two points. The vessel’s ability to operate close to shore minimizes the length of the shore discharge line and maximizes its self-emptying speed.
Denne historien er fra October - November 2020-utgaven av Professional Mariner.
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Denne historien er fra October - November 2020-utgaven av Professional Mariner.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Mariner's role still unknown as autonomous shipping gains speed
Mariners’ role still unknown as autonomous shipping gains speed
Piracy edges closer to home with wave of raids in southern Gulf
In the brief cellphone video recorded by a crewmember on the offshore supply vessel (OSV) Remas, the pirates walk back and forth on the deck of the ship, clenching their guns and using them to point as they order around the crew. Their faces are draped in clothing and bandanas.
Casualties
NTSB: Dredge hit Texas gas pipeline, causing fire that killed four
IMO emissions report raises new concerns about methane slip
A recent report from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) reveals that global shipping emissions increased nearly 10 percent from 2012 to 2018, with the industry facing a growing challenge concerning methane slip.
Bay State brothers find industry niche by making old into new
Zero non-conformities is what you want to hear when the U.S. Coast Guard inspects your tugboat. Once you’ve prepared your vessel, the inspectors come aboard to peruse your paperwork. They ask you pointed questions, to which they expect straightforward answers. Perusal completed, they then scrutinize all of the related safety systems, from bilge to antennas — even the ship’s bell.
Signals
A year into the pandemic, thousands ‘essentially indentured’ on ships
Analysis points to faulty loading, low ballast in Golden Ray rollover
While the salvage of the sunken vehicle carrier Golden Ray has been delayed for months due to COVID-19 and the hurricane season, analysis by the U.S. Coast Guard has determined a possible cause for the rollover: a combination of vehicles placed too high on the ship’s decks, and not enough ballast water gave the placement of the cargo.
Seastreak newcomer pushing through dip in demand
Two years ago, Seastreak LLC took delivery of Seastreak Commodore, a 600-passenger fast ferry, from Gulf Craft of Franklin, La. Designed by Australia-based Incat Crowther, the vessel is the largest of its kind in the United States and was built to meet the burgeoning demand for service in the New York-New Jersey market.
New year in a new world: Navigating COVID's maritime realities
In a matter of days, the decorative time balls will drop, “Auld Lang Syne” will fill the air, and ships at anchor will sound their horns as the world welcomes in the new year.
Advanced props, rudders provide new efficiencies below the waterline
It took a decade or two from the invention of the marine propeller in the 19th century for the technology to become widely accepted. Thereafter, adoption has been nearly universal, but progress toward improved efficiencies has come in fits and starts.
