Callan Marine Christens Dredge General Arnold
Belle Chasse, La.-based shipyard C&C Marine and Repair has delivered a new 32-inch cutter suction dredge, the General Arnold, to Callan Marine of Galveston, Texas. C&C delivered the General Arnold, which measures just over 278 feet by 72 feet with a molded depth of 16 feet and a 10-foot draft, on February 5, with a christening in Corpus Christi, Texas, following on February 20.
The General Arnold went straight to work on Phase 4 of the Corpus Christi Ship Channel Improvement Project. The Galveston Engineer District awarded the contract for the fourth and final phase of the project to Callan last fall. Overall, the project will increase the Corpus Christi Ship Channel to a depth of 54 feet and a width of 530 feet, with additional space for barges as well. Notably, all dredged material from Phase 4 work will be beneficially used, according to Callan.
The General Arnold is powered by four Wabtec 16V250MDC12 Tier 4 main engines that produce a combined 24,000 hp. The Wabtec engines use exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), rather than selective catalytic reduction (SCR), to reduce emissions and meet Tier 4 standards. The General Arnold has a maximum dredging depth of 97 feet, and with the dredge’s idler barge in place at the stern, the General Arnold can swing the cutter head based on a total length of 500 feet.
The dredge features one submersible pump with a 69-inch impeller, powered by a 2,500 hp. electric motor, and two primary deck pumps, each with an 84-inch impeller and powered by a 6,000 hp. electric motor. Another 2,500 hp. electric motor powers the cutter head. The General Arnold’s Wabtec marine diesel engines, designed and packaged by Cummins Sales and Service, power all those electric motors, giving the dredge its diesel-electric operation.
The General Arnold offers a Krohne flow meter, an ITS density meter and DSC Vision survey equipment for state-of-the-art production automation and monitoring systems.
Tankage aboard the General Arnold includes 362,950 gallons of fuel, 46,873 gallons of potable water, 152,108 gallons of ballast water, 6,130 gallons of lube oil, 2,870 gallons of gear oil and 6,320 gallons of dirty oil.
The dredge offers accommodations for a crew of 34, with each stateroom equipped with its own thermostat, bathroom and television. Satellite TV and internet service is standard on the dredge. Other features include a workout room, crew lounge and daily laundry service.
“The General Arnold demonstrates Callan Marine’s commitment to Gulf Coast dredging,” said John Sullivan, CEO and managing principal of the company. “Callan Marine believes in the capital dredge market and the need for large cutter suction dredges to construct the nation’s largest capital improvement projects. We are continuing to grow our fleet with the latest technology and equipment, serving our clients with safety and integrity.”
Callan’s other cutter suction dredges include the 32-inch General MacArthur, the 28-inch General Bradley, the 18-inch General Marshall, the 18-inch General Pershing, the 16-inch General Patton, the 12-inch General Eisenhower and the 8-inch General Swing. The dredge General MacArthur, a close relative to the General Arnold, was also built at C&C.
“The General Arnold was delivered to Callan Marine as a turnkey design-build project.” said C&C Marine and Repair owner Tony Cibilich. “C&C Marine was responsible for the entire design and purchasing of all equipment, which allowed Callan Marine to focus their attention on dredging operations.”
The dredge General Arnold is named for Henry Harley “Hap” Arnold, born in Gladwyne, Pa., in 1886, who studied under the Wright Brothers in 1911 and went on to be a foundational leader in the development of the United States Air Force, serving in both World War I and World War II. Arnold, who directed the nation’s air campaign in both Europe and the Pacific in the second world war, is the only service member to be a five-star general in two branches of the military, the Army and Air Force. Arnold retired from military service in 1946 and eventually moved to his home in Sonoma, Calif., where he wrote a memoir, “Global Mission.” He died at his home on January 15, 1950. Arnold is still the only person to have served as “General of the Air Force.”
Caption for photo: The diesel-electric cutter suction dredge General Arnold was built by C&C Marine and Repair. (Photo courtesy of Callan Marine)
