Boskalis Launches Dredge Shoreway

On April 17 Boskalis Westminster nv launched and christened their new trailing suction hopper dredge Shoreway. The 5600-cubic-meter dredge is being built at the IHC Merwede yard in Sliedrecht.

Sponsor for the ceremony was Mrs. M. Scheurwater-van Mourik the wife of T. Scheurwater chairman of the Works Council of Royal Boskalis Westminster nv.

The Shoreway is a twin-screw trailing suction hopper dredge equipped with a 1000mm suction pipe on the port side. Maximum dredging depth is 33 meters maximum hopper capacity is 8362 tons and draft is 7.1 meters. Discharge is through two rows of rectangular doors in the bottom of the hopper by pipeline or by rainbowing through a pipe on the bow of the vessel. Total installed power is 6776kW and speed when loaded is 12.8 knots

The ship can accommodate a crew of 14.

The Shoreway is the first of two medium-sized hopper dredges that Boskalis is having built.

Her sister ship Crestway was launched on May 16.

The dredges will be used in global dredging operations and they have been specially designed for the dredging and transportation of sand and sludge in shallow waters for the maintenance of harbors beach replenishment and land reclamation projects.

During the design phase of the dredges the emphasis was on keeping the weight of the vessel relatively low while maximizing hopper capacity.

The construction of the vessels fits in with the Boskalis multi-year fleet plans. The program includes the construction of four trailing suction hopper dredges varying from 5600 to 12000 cubic meters the extension of the Queen of the Netherlands to a 35500-cubic-meter mega-hopper the replacement of the mega-hopper the WD Fairway the construction of the jumbo cutter suction dredge Phoenix and various other specialist vessels for the energy markets. The ships will go into service between 2007 and 2012.