Marcon International, USA, has been appointed as broker by the court appointed interim receiver and manager of Redfern Resources of British Columbia, Canada, to sell the specially-designed, newbuilding hover or air-cushion-barge 'Monty'.
The 64 by 25-metre 'Monty' was being built by Sundial Marine Construction, USA. Redfern planned to haul supplies in and mineral ore concentrates out from a multi-metal gold, zinc, copper and lead mine on the Tulsequah River in Canada, 65km northeast of Juneau, Alaska. From Juneau, the ore was to be barged to the Skagway Ore Terminal where it could be loaded onto ships bound for smelters in Asia.
The mine was scheduled to start production in August 2010, but construction has been suspended.
The 'Monty' is a unique barge designed by Hovertrans and engineered by BMT Nigel Gee, UK, to hover about 1.5 metres above the surface while carrying a payload of approximately 450 tonnes of deck cargo on an 835 square metre clear deck.
A covered moonpool is located in the centre of the barge. The unit is remotely controlled and can be towed over shallow water, ice, swamps, marsh, mudflats or land.
When conditions allow, the barge can be moved by a shallow-draught tug or pushboat. In the winter, or in other difficult conditions, the barge can be moved by tractors or amphibious vehicles such as an Amphitrac.
'Monty' is built of DH-36 low temperature (-28 degrees Celsius) steel and fitted with four muffled CAT 3412 diesel engines enclosed in sound attenuated aluminium houses, which drive the Woodcock and Wilson fans to provide lift in the hover mode.
The barge is nearly complete and presently sitting out of the water. It can reportedly be delivered about one month after purchase.