Our 24tBP twin screw shoalbuster tug ‘DMS Condor‘ has continued to provide towing services to the 80m long, semi-submergible, unique heavy transport barge Terra Marique around the UK and EU coast as it delivers essential cargos on behalf of Robert Wynn and Sons.

Recent journeys have covered many miles around the coast and across the channel and have included UK to Rotterdam, Hunterston, the stunning West Coast of Scotland, Liverpool, back to Hunterston, then on down south to Portland.

Although the Terra Marique has its own propulsion, the size and weight of the barge mean that additional assistance is essential, especially with the tight manoeuvres required around many busy ports and docks. DMS Condor is well suited for this role due its powerful engines and high manoeuvrability. DMS Condor is also certificated under the MCA CAT1 Workboat Code of Practice for operation up to 150 nautical miles from a safe haven for general operations.

Strong and reliable and with accommodation for up to 4 crew, DMS Condor is available for towage, mooring, anchor handling and dredging support services in the UK and Northern Europe

DMS Condor and our other larger and more powerful 37tBP multicat ‘Wind Lass’,  are capable of single and double tows.

^{Special thanks to The Port of Mostyn Limited for use of their video footage and to Dave Gothard for his images of DMS Condor in Liverpool}

Associated British Ports (APB) have asked us to help them resolve an issue with a specialist “ship lift” facility in Southampton. A “Shiplift” system is essentially a large elevator which raises and lowers vessels in and out of the water for dry-docking operations. Many years of silt accumulation mean that the lift is no longer able to lower to its maximum design depth and impacting the functionality of the lift.

ABP approached us as a specialist dredging contractor and awarded us the contract to dredge below the shiplift. This is a specialist operation and will require an innovative approach to achieve the required results as the area under the shiplift cannot be dredged conventionally due to the presence of the lifting deck and surrounding piles. Our team have designed a bespoke plough solution to drag the sediments out from directly under the lift platform, which then enables our backhoe dredger to reach the sediments and load them into a hopper barge as normal.

Our extremely versatile workboat STOUR is being used as a dredge barge, with an 18m long reach excavator on board and using her double-drum, 12t deck winch to operate the plough, whilst the deck crane has been removed to create more room on deck.

Our 150m³ capacity remote controlled, split hopper barge Hurst will be loaded with spoil and towed to the sea disposal site at NAB tower by 24tBP Tug ‘DMS Condor‘.

Works must be completed in accordance with the MMO Marine licence which permits dredging and disposal of up to 5,000m³ of material and all works must be completed before 15th March 2025 to comply with local marine environmental restrictions. This has meant careful planning and good communication with the client and relevant authorities – something Jenkins Marine prides itself on.

If you have a requirement for specialised marine operations in shallow or near shore projects, or a technical dredging project, please feel free to get in touch to see where we can help.

In a change to our more normal winter schedule we started the new year with a jetty demolition project at Sandbanks for the National Trust. The Jetty had been used since 1996 (roughly 30 years) as a landing stage for passenger and small cargo vessels traveling to and from  Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour. The Jetty had actually been originally constructed using recycled marine hardwood timbers from local sea defence structures, and was ahead of its time in terms of sustainability.

 Unfortunately, after nearly 30 years of service, and with timber being a natural product, some parts of the structure had become significantly deteriorated in places, and to add to this issue, in November 2024 there was a sudden shock, when part of the Jetty collapsed as a large area of the sandy seabed washed away, and was no longer supporting the jetty in places.  A decision was made by the Trust to remove the Jetty, which will hopefully accelerate plans to install a new replacement Jetty with an enhanced design to align with their current and future needs.

Our extremely versatile, shallow draft workboat STOUR  was used to undertake the demolition and removal works, aided by its 14m deck crane.

Director Dan Jenkins commented on the progress of the works on site:

“Some of the piles literally fell out or fell over when disconnected from the rest of the structure! A few piles remained more firmly in the bed, but using the powerful 68tm deck crane on the STOUR, and thanks to the non-cohesive sandy sediments, we were able to extract these without issue“.

Overall, the project was completed much quicker than expected, which resulted in a significant saving being passed on to the client! All of the Hardwood timbers removed are being repurposed on Brownsea Island for other projects, which meets the Trust’s sustainability goals.

The large, spacious 100m² deck area on STOUR was ideal for laying down and transporting all the timbers removed from the structure, and the vessels remotely operated, self-elevating spud legs, coupled with twin azimuth thrusters made quick work of precise, repositioning around the works site, which was especially beneficial as it can be an area of fast flowing tidal currents.

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.

Our tugboat DMS Condor has been hard at work all over the UK and parts of Europe this year. DMS Condor is a powerful and highly manoeuvrable twin screw, Damen built tug boat that is ideally suited to provide support operations, and is now under the commercial management of Landfall Marine.

As reported in January DMS Condor assisted Robert Wynns and Sons with the UK manoeuvres of the impressive 80m long semi-submergible heavy cargo transportation barge Terra Marique. (Click to view Jan 2024 news). This was quickly followed by a trip to Amsterdam to assist with operations there as well.

Once on site in the Netherlands DMS Condor assisted with a project pontoon tow from Rotterdam to La Rochelle, and assisted  another tug to manoeuvre the pontoon into some very restricted French ports for loading and unloading.

Once back in UK waters there was a busy list of tows to complete: We towed a large 50m pontoon from Southampton to London and then on to River Clyde, returning later in the year to collect this pontoon from Clyde, going on to Rosyth and then back to Southampton. Then it was back to London to collect another 60m pontoon that needed towing to Montrose in Scotland and back.

DMS Condor even flexed her muscles to tow the former Royal Navy Experimental vessel RV Triton, originally built as a technology demonstrator ship for the Royal Navy’s Future Surface Combatant, now owned and operated by Gardline Marine Sciences.

Various tows were then completed on the South Coast including various flat deck barge loads to Southampton, Plymouth and Poole with the year finishing as it began with a tow of the Terra Marique from Portland to Pembroke, with a brief stopover in Dartmouth necessitated by the recent stormy weather.

All in all a very busy year for DMS Condor that looks set to continue into the next…

To enquire about DMS Condor and her services please contact Landfall Marine: www.landfall.nl

If you have a requirement for marine operations in shallow or near shore projects, or require marine towage services, please feel free to get in touch to see where we can help.

Autumn is here and, as the seasons change, we shift into top gear with our dredging fleet to get some serious amounts of mud moved!

Our larger dredge set up, including backhoe dredger ‘Doreen Dorward’, and 300m3 capacity self propelled split hopper barges ‘Nab’ and ‘Needles’, have recently completed a significant dredge for Cattewater Harbour Commissioners in Plymouth, and have now moved further East into the Solent area for a succession of projects for several of our regular clients, including marina operators, local harbour authorities and yacht clubs.

Our busy dredging program is expected to keep us working hard all winter until Easter 2025 at a variety of sites in locations including; Southampton, Cowes, Chichester Harbour, River Hamble and Poole Harbour. This dredge rig will be working a variety of shifts, including tidal shifts over 24hrs/day, 7 days per week, to get the jobs completed as efficiently as possible, to minimise the disruption to our clients.

Our large 50t long reach excavator is equipped with a 3D RTK GPS linked dredging control system which facilitates highly accurate dredging to achieve a good quality finish and minimise over dredge. We work closely with hydrographic surveyors, and we can organise interim and post dredge surveys on request, and arrange quantity calculations.

We also co-ordinate producing dredge design drawings and then get these converted into the required file types for uploading into our dredge control systems. We will also provide statutory notifications on behalf of clients to comply with Marine Management organisation marine licence conditions.

Our smaller self contained hopper dredger, ‘C H Horn’ is also busy now for the winter, currently working on a 7,000m³ dredging project in Poole harbour until Mid December 2024. Then in January 2025 she will be off to Ipswich to complete another 15,000m³ dredge project, which will keep her working hard for a few more months!

C H Horn is an extremely efficient and manoeuvrable self contained dredger, able to load her 125m³ capacity hopper well in as little as one hour with good digging, and then sail to the nominated sea disposal site to safely discharge the dredged spoil. Ideal for smaller marinas!

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.

This was a highly complex operation but one we have accomplished before.  We towed our 30m x 11m pontoon barge JML30 to Southampton to coincide with the high tide using our powerful multicat Buffalo and twin screw tugboat Polmear. Once at the designated site the mould was loaded onto the pontoon barge from its road transport by a large, shore based giant hydraulic lifting crane. The crane itself required pre-planned road closures to reach the site and wind speeds were monitored so as not to exceed a lower safety limit for the crane’s safe operation due to its extended operating height.

Our versatile multicat Buffalo was chosen for the transport due to its shallow draft, spud legs to hold position, and large cargo deck. It was able to position pontoon barge JML30 close into the beach, directly in front of the crane at the optimum tidal moment. JML30 has a minimal draft of just 40cm, and buffalo just 120cm at the bow, meaning both vessels  are ideally suited for getting very close to the shore for this type of operation.

The crane lifted the 28 ton mould carefully on to the pontoon, where it was quickly derigged and safely sea-fastened by our team. Once clear of the shore our tugboat Polmear refastened to the barge and led the way for the tow along the south coast to Plymouth.

This was a multifaceted operation which was successfully completed within a single day. The many different parties involved worked together to achieve a smooth and successful operation.

^{Top video edited from original video footage courtesy of Rich Patterson}

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.

We have been on site in Plymouth working on a project for Cattewater Harbour Commissioners. Corporation Wharf on the River Plym is a dedicated bulk cement storage and distribution terminal with additional capacity for alternative cargoes. In co-operation with consultants the Anthony Bates Partnership we have been carrying out dredging works to improve access for shipping and enable larger ships to access the wharf.

Our versatile multicat vessel Doreen Dorward, equipped with 52t long reach excavator and 3D RTK GPS control system has been deployed to the site, together with 300m³ capacity self-propelled, split hopper barges Nab and Needles and a highly manoeuvrable, single-screw Beaver work boat. An estimated 40,000m³ of spoil will be dredged. Disposal will be carried out under the associated MMO Marine licence.

This is a great start to our busy winter dredging program, which will keep our dredging fleet working industriously through this winter at various locations across the south coast between Plymouth and Ipswich.

Dredging at Corporation Wharf started September 2024 and is due to complete October/November 2024

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.

We’ve been on charter with our versatile ‘multi-category’ vessel STOUR in Dover now for several months for Civil engineering company Dyer & Butler.  They have been working with Dover Harbour Authority on a project involving the refurbishment of their historic lighthouses, located on the Harbour breakwaters.

STOUR has been used as a project workhorse to transport anything and everything to the work site; from scaffolding and materials, to water for pressure washing. Stour’s large protected deck area (capable of carrying up to 75t) and 68tm, 14m reach, deck crane have proved invaluable for the works.

Operating in Dover can be challenging with strong tidal flows and choppy conditions even inside the breakwaters. The two azimuth thrusters on STOUR make her highly manoeuvrable, and ideally suited for these precision operations! The vessel can either push on, using her twin push bow fenders, or come alongside for loading/offloading using the deck crane.

Accommodation is also challenging in the Dover area, especially during summer months. Stour’s crew have been able to stay on board the vessel using her accommodation, making the project easier to organise for crew accommodation needs.

Jenkins Marine are also supplying a highly manoeuvrable, single-screw Beaver workboat as a safety vessel, and to provide crew transfer capability for the project.

This project is expected to complete in September 2024.

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.

We have been commissioned to install a range of environmental units that will provide new marine habitat at Hengistbury Head as part of the ambitious Hengistbury Head Long Groyne Project. This project is a part of a 17-year Beach Management Scheme, with the original 1930’s long groyne being replaced & upgraded between April – October 2024. The groyne is vital to protecting the surrounding headlands and beaches from erosion and sea level rise.

The main project contractors, Boskalis Westminster, approached Jenkins Marine as a long standing local marine partner for marine support, to place these distinctive reef units, weighing approximately 7t each at carefully planned locations off the southern tip of the new groyne.

The vessel required needed to be Something shallow draft, with spud legs to hold position, able to carry a deck cargo of giant reef blocks and stone, and with a suitable lifting capability and the ability to precisely place them on the sea bed.

The solution? To use Jenkins Marine’s 30m long Backhoe Dredger, Doreen Dorward! The dredger works with a 52t extended reach excavator, equipped with a 3D RTK GPS positioning system for high accuracy, spud legs and a selection of buckets and rock grab.

In addition workboat ‘Buffalo’ will be used to tow small 18m pontoon ‘JML 60’ to site to increase the deck cargo capacity and transport the reef blocks, whilst the Doreen Dorward will be able to transport the additional rock on her large deck.

This is an exciting, environmentally positive project to work on which has many technical challenges, and we are working closely with the Boskalis Westminster team to find the best solutions!

You can find out more about the project, it’s progress and aims here: https://twobays.net/project/hengistbury-head-long-groyne-works/

And at:

Hengistbury Head Long Groyne works

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.

Our shallow draft utility vessel Buffalo has been chartered by Bournemouth University’s Marine Archaeology team to help recover a number of unique artifacts recently discovered on the only known surviving wreck of an English Medieval commercial vessel, which sank off Studland Bay during the reign of Henry III. We have worked with the university’s archaeology team before and were thrilled to be asked to help with this historic project.

Buffalo was able to use her self-elevating spud legs, remotely operated from the wheelhouse, to accurately position the vessel and hold it in place, without risking damage to the historic ship wreck. Buffalo’s powerful 30tm hydraulic deck crane was then used by our experienced crew and, with good communication with the client’s dive team, the archaeological remains, including some very large medieval grave slabs, were carefully lifted from the seabed on a purpose-made lifting frame up on to Buffalo’s spacious deck.

^{Images courtesy of Bournemouth University Marine Archaeology Dept.}

The remains were speedily transported back to shore where they were delivered to MAST Archaeological Centre in Poole. Here they will undergo preservation treatment to ensure their survival out of seawater. It is hoped the items will be displayed in the local Maritime Museum in Poole when it reopens in 2025.

Another safety vessel was in attendance, and the whole operation was filmed by the Time Team film crew  and is available to watch on their Youtube channel. The site has been afforded the highest level of government protection, as England’s oldest known wreck site with a visible surviving hull.

Jenkins Marine Director Dan Jenkins said:

“We’re proud to be able to support our local maritime heritage, and the work of this excellent local marine archaeology team of experts”.

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.

You can read more about the University’s wreck recovery project here:

https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/collaborate/support-bu/mortar-wreck-uncovering-englands-oldest-surviving-shipwreck

Bournemouth University has a short video here showing part of the recovery and finds:

https://youtu.be/Plhq8liByVA?si=LG101HjaD3-BJBY0

And Time Team has an episode featuring the discovery here: