Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Panama City, Fla., (ESG) announced today that it has delivered the R.B. Weeks, a 364'06"x79'6"x27'3", 8,550-cu.-yd. capacity trailing suction hopper dredge, to Weeks Marine Inc., Cranford, N.J.
Despite building the vessel through the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, ESG’s was able to deliver the vessel on schedule. The R.B. Weeks was built at ESG’s Allanton shipyard and was launched on abiut a year ago. The vessel outfitting and trials were conducted at ESG’s Port St. Joe shipyard.
Weeks said R.B. Weeks represents a significant milestone for the company and is the largest capital investment in Weeks Marine history, 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,” said Weeks Marine President and CEO Eric Ellefsen.
“The R.B. Weeks joins an impressive fleet that works alongside the Army Corps of Engineers to preserve our treasured waterways,” Joey D’Isernia, president of Eastern Shipbuilding, said in a statement announcing the delivery.
The R.B. Weeks is nearly identical to the Magdalen delivered by ESG in 2017. The vessel has a hopper capacity of 8,550 cu. yds. and includes an electrical power, propulsion, and dredge machinery package by Royal IHC, featuring a pair of GE 16V250 Tier IV engines, along with several accommodation and crew comfort upgrades.
The diesel engines connect to a Wartsila controllable pitch prop system in nozzles through four Siemens reduction gears. For additional maneuverability, R.B. Weeks is fitted with a Wartsila fixed-pitch tunnel bowthruster.
Main electrical power comes from two Hyundai gensets, a GE 6L250 MDC auxiliary generator, and a Caterpillar C18 emergency generator.
The new dredge is Lloyd's Registry Maltese Cross A1 Hopper Dredge, LMC, UMS.
