Eastern Conducts Sea Trials For New Weeks Dredge

Eastern Shipbuilding Group conducted sea trials March 30 for the forthcoming Weeks Marine dredge R.B. Weeks. The new dredge is a sister vessel to the dredge Magdalen, which Eastern delivered to Weeks in 2017.

The R.B. Weeks has a hopper capacity of 8,550 cubic yards and measures 356 feet long by 79.5 feet wide, with a draft of 27 feet, 3 inches. The dredge is named in honor of Richard B. Weeks, co-founder of Weeks Marine and husband of Magdalen Weeks. The R.B. Weeks, designed by Royal IHC, is powered by a pair of IMO III/Tier 4 main engines from Wabtec Corporation and has two Wartsila controllable-pitch propellers in kort nozzles. Reduction gears are by Siemens. The R.B. Weeks also has a Wärtsilä fixed-pitch tunnel unit bow thruster. Main generators are by Hyundai, and the vessel is equipped with a Caterpillar emergency generator. The vessel has accommodations for a crew of 26.

According to Eastern Shipbuilding Group, delivery of the R.B. Weeks is imminent.