Eastern to build second hopper dredge for Weeks Marine

Wmih258copy

The following is text of a news release from Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG):

(PANAMA CITY, Fla.) — Weeks Marine Inc. (WMI) and Eastern Shipbuilding Group have signed a contract to construct a sister ship to Magdalen, a Lloyd's Register 356-foot twin-screw trailing suction hopper dredge. The new vessel will be constructed at Eastern’s Allanton Shipyard in Panama City, Fla., resulting in hundreds of additional skilled jobs over the next year. This second trailing suction hopper dredge project for Weeks Marine reflects Eastern’s commitment to building complex dredge vessels for the U.S. Jones Act maritime industry.
    
R.B. Weeks (ESG Hull 258) is named in honor of Richard B. Weeks,  a co-founder of Weeks Marine and married to Magdalen Weeks, the namesake of the sister vessel (ESG 256) that was delivered in December 2017. This new trailing suction hopper dredge is scheduled for delivery early 2023.

R.B. Weeks features the following characteristics:
 
Dimensions (overall): 356' by 79’6" by 27’3”
Designer: Royal IHC
Main engines: (2) GE 16V250 MDC IMO III/EPA Tier 4
Main propulsion: (2) Wartsila CPP in nozzles
Main gears: (2) Siemens (Flender)
Bow thruster: AC 730-kW VFD fixed-pitch tunnel unit
Main shaft generators: (2) x 3,400 kW
Auxiliary generator: GE 6L250 MDC (1,423 kW) IMO III/EPA Tier 4
Emergency generator: Caterpillar C18 (430 kW) IMO II/EPA Tier 3
Classification: Lloyd’s Register, 100A1 Hopper Dredger, LMC, UMS
Flag and regulatory: United States, U.S. Coast Guard
Hopper capacity: 8,550 cubic yards (6,540 cubic meters)
Accommodations: 26  

By Professional Mariner Staff