The Eastern Shipbuilding Group of Panama City, Florida, has laid the keel of a new trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) ordered by San Rafael, California-based construction company the Dutra Group.
The 347-foot (106-metre) TSHD will be named Adele after Adele Coelho, the mother of the Dutra Group Executive Chairman Bill Dutra. The vessel will utilise a design developed by Dutch engineering firm Royal IHC.
Notable features of the new dredger will include bottom doors for fast offloading and a bulbous bow to reduce water resistance. The wheelhouse and the accommodation block will be located near the bow.
The wheelhouse will have separate helm and dredging control stations, allowing for improved visibility during both navigation and dredging activities. The main diesel engines will drive the dredge pumps via gearbox.
The hopper will have a total capacity of 8,000 cubic metres (10,000 cubic yards). This will make the dredger ideal for a range of project types including maintenance and capital deepening, coastal restoration, storm recovery efforts, and beach nourishment.
Delivery of Adele is scheduled for late 2028. She will be operated alongside the 1981-built Stuyvesant, an existing TSHD in the Dutra Group's fleet.
