Civil engineering contractor BAM Nuttall / Farrans JV approached Jenkins Marine and asked if we could offer any solutions to the required dredging of high spots in the river channel at Great Yarmouth around the new third river crossing. The ambitious new bridge will ease traffic congestion on the town’s roads and shorten journey times, as well as supporting wider plans to maximise economic growth opportunities in the town and wider borough.
The initial hurdle arose when Jenkins Marine’s larger dredger, a perfect fit for the project, was still committed to other projects. Furthermore, the dredge design and tidal height necessitated a more specialised approach than a smaller hopper dredger could accommodate. Undeterred, our team strategised and identified the need to source a suitable long reach excavator that could be accommodated by another of our utility vessels.
25m x 9m workboat STOUR was selected as a suitable platform for a 45t long reach excavator (supplied by W M Plant) to remove the isolated high spots of material around the new bridge site which was above the charted navigation depth. STOUR offers a spacious large clear timber clad main working deck of 20m x 9m, with a cargo capacity of 75t. The extremely versatile vessel is also equipped with remote operated spud legs and is self-propelled allowing it to position quickly and accurately on site.
The 20m long reach excavator was delivered to the Jenkins Marine yard in the Port of Poole, and safely loaded onto the deck of STOUR, suitably lashed to sea-fasten it in accordance with the recommendations of the Towage Approval Surveyor, ready for towage to site.
Efficiently managed by the powerful 37tBP Multicat workboat ‘Wind Lass,’ the project unfolded in two phases. First, Wind Lass undertook the tandem tow of the STOUR and the 150m3 capacity split hopper barge ‘HURST‘ from the South Coast to Great Yarmouth in just two days, utilising its powerful deck winches for the tow wires.
The second phase involves Wind Lass towing split hopper barge HURST to the designated local sea disposal site, located approximately 2nm outside Great Yarmouth, where its remote-controlled hopper allows precise sea disposal operations of the dredged spoil from the comfort of the towing vessel’s wheelhouse!
The project is working towards completion before Christmas 2023 and showcases Jenkins Marine’s ability to plan and manage complex, large scale multi-vessel operations and logistics at short notice and in challenging marine environments.
You can read more details about this ambitious infrastructure project here: BAM Farrans Joint Venture…
If you have a requirement for marine operations in shallow or near shore projects, please feel free to get in touch to see where we can help. Alternatively, you can find out more about our dredging operations here: Dredging Services