Posted on July 10, 2023
Westlake, Louisiana-based, family-owned dredging company Mike Hooks has taken delivery of a new cutter suction dredger (CSD).
Named Lorraine Hooks after the wife of company founder Mike Hooks, the non-self-propelled, 300- by 50-foot (91.4- by 15.2-metre) vessel was designed and built by SPI/Mobile Pulley Works (SPI/MPW) of Mobile, Alabama, with the cooperation of Netherlands-based C-Job Naval Architects and Southwest Shipyard of Channelview, Texas. The design work was done in compliance with the latest requirements and regulations from the US Coast Guard and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).
C-Job was responsible for the full design scope including the majority of the dredging equipment as well as systems integration, which took place at Southwest Shipyard’s facilities in Galveston. Dredging can be performed up to a maximum depth of 75 feet (22.8 metres). The dredging equipment also includes a cutterhead platform and anchor booms. Monitoring of the dredging equipment can be done via mobile devices and dedicated displays situated throughout the vessel including the accommodation spaces.
The TSHD is fitted with two Anglo Belgian Corporation 6DL36 generators, each with a rated output of 3,000 ekW at 600 rpm and fitted with selective catalytic reduction. The generators are also designed to run on alternative carbon-neutral fuels in the future.
Accommodations are available for up to 35 crewmembers and include berthing compartments to ensure continuous operation when deployed. The accommodation spaces are fire-insulated and fitted on resilient mounts to reduce vibrations and noise, thus minimising crew fatigue. The engine room and the control rooms are also fitted with NOVEC fire suppression systems.
Lorraine Hooks is the fifth vessel to join the current active Mike Hooks fleet and the first newbuild vessel to be acquired by the company since 1984. It will be used on waterway dredging and shore protection projects along the Gulf Coast, covering an area that spans from Florida to Texas.
