Boskalis launches trailing suction hopper dredger GATEWAY

The naming and launch of the 12,000m³ Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger the GATEWAY took place at the IHC Merwede Offshore & Marine yard in Hardinxveld-Giessendam, The Netherlands on Saturday, 26 September 2009 at about 11:00 a.m. The ship is being built for Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. The ceremony was conducted by Mrs M.J.A. Smits-Schiebroek, the spouse of ir. drs. H.N.J. Smits, the CEO of Rotterdam Port Authority N.V.

IHC Merwede and Boskalis signed a contract in November 2007 for the design, engineering and construction of two identical TSHDs. The assignment is unusual in that the ships are being built at the same time at two different IHC Merwede yards. The keel of the GATEWAY was laid on 4 February 2009. Completion is planned for the first quarter of 2010. Her sister ship is currently under construction at IHC Dredgers in Kinderdijk, The Netherlands, where she will be launched in mid-February 2010.

The 12,000m³ vessel was designed by IHC Merwede Offshore & Marine in close collaboration with Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. During the design phase, the emphasis was primarily on keeping the weight of the vessel relatively low, while maximising hopper capacity.

Perfect trim with double hopper
The GATEWAY has a single suction pipe with an underwater pump, allowing it to dredge to a depth of 62m. The ship has two hoppers, one in the bow and one in the stern, with the pump room in between. This improves trim in shallow waters. In addition, the ship has a high pump capacity so that it can transport large volumes over a considerable distance. These specifications make the vessel suitable for a range of projects throughout the world, whether they involve large-scale land reclamation, beach replenishment or the construction of ports and waterways.

Additional information: Main features
Name: GATEWAY
Type: trailing suction hopper dredger
Client: Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V.
Shipbuilder: IHC Merwede Offshore & Marine
Length overall: 137.00m
Length between perpendiculars: 125.00m
Beam: 28.00m
Depth: 13.50m
Hopper capacity: 12,000m³
Diameter of suction pipes: 1,200mm
Maximum dredging depth: 62.00m
International draught: 8.00m
Dredging draught: 10.00m
Speed: 15.4 knots
Accommodation: 24 people