New Weeks Marine dredge R.B. Weeks on sea trials [Photograph: Eastern Shipbuilding Group]
Panama City, Fla., based mostly Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) has introduced the supply of the R.B. Weeks (ESG Hull 258) a 8,550 cubic yard capability trailing suction hopper dredge (TSHD) constructed for Weeks Marine, Inc.
“It’s our pleasure to once again deliver a quality vessel on time and on budget to our valued customers at Weeks Marine, Inc.,” stated Joey D’Isernia, president of Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. “The R.B. Weeks joins an impressive fleet that works alongside the Army Corps of Engineers to preserve our treasured waterways.”
Despite constructing the vessel via the peak of the COVID pandemic, ESG’s workforce was in a position to ship the vessel on schedule. The R.B. Weeks was constructed at ESG’s Allanton Shipyard and was launched on June 17, 2022. The vessel outfitting and trials had been carried out at ESG’s Port St. Joe Shipyard.
According to Weeks Marine President and CEO Eric Ellefsen, the supply of R.B. Weeks is a big milestone for the corporate and the biggest capital funding in Weeks Marine historical past, which spans over a century.
“We look forward to putting the R.B. Weeks to work deepening and maintaining navigation channels, restoring storm-damaged coastal barrier islands and nourishing beaches lost to erosion, aiding the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other key clients,” he stated.
The new Weeks Marine dredge is known as in honor of Richard B. Weeks, a co-founder of Weeks Marine and married to Magdalen Weeks, the namesake of the sister vessel Magdalen (ESG 256), constructed by ESG.
In practically all respects, the R.B. Weeks is similar to the Magdalen delivered by ESG in 2017. The vessel has a hopper capability of 8,550 cubic yards and consists of an electrical power, propulsion, and dredge machinery package by its designer, Royal IHC.
Measuring 356 ft x 79 ft 6 inches x 27 ft 3 inches, it’s powered by two GE (now Wabtec) 16V250 MDC IMOIII/EPA Tier 4 engines
- Main propulsion: (2) Wärtsilä CPP in Nozzles
- Bow thruster: (1) AC 730kW VFD Fixed Pitch Tunnel Unit
- Main gears: (2) Siemens (Flender)
- Main shaft mills: (2) x 3400ekW
- Auxiliary generator: (1) GE (now Wabtec) 6L250 MDC (1423ekW) IMOIII/EPA Tier 4
- Emergency generator: (1) Caterpillar C18 (430ekW) IMOII/EPA Tier 3
- Classification: Lloyd’s Register, 100A1 Hopper Dredger, LMC, UMS
- Flag & Regulatory: USA, USCG
- Hopper Capacity: 8,550 cubic yards (6,540 cubic meters)
- Accommodations: 26 individuals
