(LAKSEVAG, Norway) — The first compact F-10000 workboat davit ever to be specified by a U.S.-based customer has successfully completed factory testing in Poland, ahead of installation in the early part of 2019. The contract, which also represents a breakthrough for Vestdavit with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, calls for the retrofitting of the 10,000-kg dual davit unit on board the trailing suction hopper dredger Yaquina.
The Army Corps takes responsibility for keeping U.S. waterways and navigational channels clear for navigation. Based in Portland, Ore., the 2,943-dwt dredger Yaquina’s mission is to maintain federal navigation channels in the Pacific Northwest. According to Army Corps of Engineers figures, between 3.5 million and 4.5 million cubic yards of material is dredged from the mouth of the Columbia River each year.
With space on board Yaquina for davit operations limited, the F-10000 unit will be required to launch and recover a 27-foot workboat from a vessel which is itself only 200 feet in length. In addition to its space-saving footprint, the F-10000 benefits from a dynamic shock absorber system and offers adjustable capabilities in terms of hook distance.
Vestdavit’s systems are already widely used by the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and in the offshore oil industry. The company's strategy includes plans to expand after-sales support in the U.S. and to grow locally-based service team numbers over time to make OEM servicing more available and affordable, reducing the need to send service technicians from overseas.
For inquiries in the U.S., email magnus.oding@vestdavitus.com.
