Turkish shipbuilder Gemak recently delivered a new floating drydock to US-based General Dynamics NASSCO.
The floating dock has a length of 253 metres, a beam of 54 metres, a height of 21 metres, and a displacement of 17,300 tonnes. Kuehne+Nagel, which has been entrusted with the transport scope, said that it is the largest floating drydock ever built in Turkey.
The dock was transported more than 13,500 nautical miles across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans from Turkey to Long Beach in California on board Boskalis' heavy lift vessel Boka Vanguard.
The transit encountered storms with wave heights of up to 20 metres. Due to the heavy lift vessel's dimensions, navigation via the Panama Canal was not possible.
The dock was built in compliance with American Bureau of Shipping class requirements. Once operational, it will support the construction and repair of both commercial and naval vessels at General Dynamics NASSCO's facilities in San Diego.