Keel marine harbour skimmer

With an overall length of 8.10 metres and a draft of just 0.4 metres this skimmer can operate close to beaches and shallow water making it suitable for operation on small inland waterways as well as within the tight confines of a marina.

Designed for aluminium construction with a catamaran hull form this small, lightweight yet robust and manoeuvrable vessel provides a versatile vessel that is ideal for debris collection in many smaller harbours. Built-in lifting eyes, a low overall weight of just 5 tonnes fully loaded and compact dimensions facilitate the ability to road freight the vessel to any location to allow its utilisation to be maximised and shared between harbours.

In order to keep the design as simple as possible Keel Marine has specified propulsion by a pair of outboard motors. This twin engine installation allows maximum control, manoeuvrability and simplicity. An option for powering by twin diesel engines coupled to waterjets also exists if diesel fuel compatibility is a requirement.

The primary debris recovery operation is carried out by means of a hydraulically operated bucket scoop mounted at the bow between the two hulls. This lift the debris up and over so that the debris can be deposited into a standard 6 cubic yard skip carried on the deck between the scoop and the aft wheelhouse. This skip can be quickly loaded on and off the vessel by a shore crane to enable a quick turnaround for mass collection. Bow rollers on the forward shoulder on each side give great potential to roll down dock walls without damaging the hull or quay wall to gain greater retrieval of debris close to the walls.

When the skip is not in place on the deck the large clear deck area allows the skimmer to be used for a wide variety of workboat harbour operations and it could also act as an oil spill containment vessel in the event of a harbour spill. The skimmer has been designed for one man operation to improve the economics of the operation.

Further information: www.keelmarine.com

By Dag Pike