Ship-broker Marcon International has secured the sale of the unfinished hover-barge 'Monty' by US builder Sundial Marine Construction and Repair, of Troutdale, Oregon, to private buyers.
Reportedly the world's largest hover-barge, 'Monty' measures 64 metres by 25.2 metres, with a depth of hull of 1.7 metres. The air cushion barge (ACB) is designed to hover about two metres above the surface while carrying about 450 tonnes of deck cargo on a clear deck of around 800 square metres.
She was being built for Vancouver-based Redfern Resources to transport cargoes of supplies to, and ore concentrates from, a multi-metal gold, zinc, copper and lead mine on the Tulsequah River in Canada, 60 kilometres north-east of Juneau, Alaska. With no roads in the area, the Tulsequah Chief Mine could only be reached from Alaska via the Taku River.
'Monty' was designed to be capable of operating year-round over shallow water, ice and land, while being towed by a vessel during ice-free conditions in the summer and amphibious tractors over the ice and crossing open leads during the winter. However, Redfern declared bankruptcy in March 2010 and the barge was not completed.
The new owners plan to eventually finish 'Monty' as a hover barge and commission her into their service. Marcon was appointed as exclusive broker by receivers appointed by the Supreme Court of British Columbia.
'Monty' is built of DH-36 low temp steel with four Woodcock and Wilson fans providing lift in the hover mode. The barge is also fitted with two Grove M977 hydraulic cranes, four 30-tonne hydraulic deck winches at the corners and one main heavy-duty bow ramp the width of the barge plus two side access ramps. A moon pool has been installed amidships and fitted with a bolted plate cover.
