C&C Marine And Repair Delivers Idler Barge

On August 17, C&C Marine and Repair, Belle Chasse, La., delivered a new idler barge to Orion Marine Construction Inc. The 160-foot barge was designed by The Shearer Group Inc., and it joins Orion Marine’s existing fleet of dredges to support the company’s dredging operations.

C&C Marine and Repair worked closely with Orion Marine during the eight months it took to complete the project. According to the news release published by C&C Marine, the design employs a walking-spud system to connect the dredge and idler barge in increments of approximately 30 feet and uses a traveling spud carrier, a fixed stern spud, dedicated spud towers and electrically driven hoisting winches. The barge can reposition the dredge during operational periods by way of a push-pull winch, which directs longitudinal movement of the walking-spud carrier.

According to C&C Marine, the addition of the new idler barge represents the company’s ongoing commitment to advancing the domestic dredging industry. The company also has completed various other projects, as well as idler barges, including cutter suction dredges, multipurpose dredge support vessels, booster barges, towboats, anchor barges, deck barges, crane barges and more.

The company is close to completing a 30-inch cutter suction dredge. The new dredge is designed to excavate debris using a rotating cutterhead and transfer the material through a 30-inch pipeline. The vessel will be able to reposition using an underwater dredge pump, an inboard dredge pump, a spud-carriage system and anchor booms. The dredge is not self-propelled. It measures approximately 360 feet by 56 feet and can dredge at a depth of approximately 10 to 82 feet.

“Projects such as the Orion idler barge, the two Multi Cats and the 30-inch cutter suction dredge demonstrate the range of our shipbuilding capabilities and the experience of our workforce,” said Tony Cibilich, president and owner of C&C Marine and Repair. “We are proud to support the domestic dredging and marine-construction industries with purpose-built vessels engineered for demanding operating environments.”

Featured photo caption: The new idler barge, designed by The Shearer Group Inc., uses a walking-spud system and measures 160 feet in length. It was completed by C&C Marine and Repair in approximately eight months. (Photo courtesy of C&C Marine and Repair)