Australian dredging contractor, Hall Contracting, last week launched the newest addition to its fleet, the 400mm Cutter Suction Dredge “Saibai”.
Built by Hall, “Saibai” is a 400mm spudded cutter suction dredge similar in capability to the IHC Beaver 1200 style dredgers “Everglade” and “Mabuiag” currently in the Hall fleet. With 1400hp installed, and able to be fitted with either a bucket wheel, Jaden wheel or conventional cutter, the dredge is fully demountable and easily transported from site to site by road transport.
Many years of experience operating cutter suction dredgers from most of the world’s leading dredging manufacturers meant that Hall has incorporated the best aspects of each dredge into the one package.
She was named after the Torres Strait Island “Saibai” where Hall worked in 1990, and joins other Torres Straight Island namesakes CSD “Mabuiag”, CSD “Warraber” and Workboat “Darnley”.
Hall’s Director of Dredging Operations, Brian Hall , said “ it was good to see Saibai put into service on her first project at the Mooloolah River Entrance in Queensland, Australia. She performed as expected and with our 5 other 400mm cutter dredgers spread from Fiji to Western Australia, plus our 10,000hp CSD Eastern Aurora, we have the region well covered.”
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Dredging Today Staff, March 1, 2012; Image: Hall Contracting