JE McAmis commissions new derrick barge

US marine contractor JE McAmis has commissioned the Ellis Island, an ABS-class derrick barge designed by naval architecture firm Glosten and retrofitted at WCT Marine and Construction in Astoria, Oregon.

The 250-foot (76-metre) by 76-foot (23-metre) barge underwent significant structural and mechanical modifications, including the installation of two 100-foot (30-metre) high-strength spuds, spudwells, and a 390 Manitowoc drawworks system.

The deck was reinforced with new bulkheads and structural supports, as well as an 18-inch wear deck. A Manitowoc 4100 crane and a Caterpillar 6020 excavator with 6030-series cylinders and a 95-foot (29-metre) Pierce Pacific front were also installed.

The equipment is integrated with Telestra Technologies positioning systems, Esco buckets, and Caterpillar ripper shanks.

Designed for remote operations, the Ellis Island is equipped to carry all primary and secondary equipment, such as loaders, while maintaining a cargo capacity of 2,000 tons of aggregate. A ramp is also available for vessel access.

The barge is scheduled to operate in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, this summer on a project for the US Army Corps of Engineers' Alaska District. It will then support dredging and rock placement work for PND Engineers and the City of Unalaska.

In early autumn, the vessel is expected to return to the Columbia River to begin pile demolition and rock placement as part of the Sand Island and Baker Bay pile dike projects.