Modified survey vessel
A recently launched 1640 from Netherlands-based No Limit Ships has been specially modified to sail safely even under the toughest weather conditions on both the shallow waters of the Elbe and the stormy outer Elbe area.
‘This is definitely not a standard survey vessel’, Piet Wierenga, general manager of No Limit told Maritime Journal. ‘The survey vessel for the WSA-department Cuxhaven meets special and even extreme conditions. To be able to inspect the shallow waters and groynes of the river Elbe, the draught is limited to 1 metre. The strong and sturdy vessel can cope extremely well with the strong currents, fast rising and sometimes extremely high water levels and the dangerous shallows of the river. Furthermore the vessel has to withstand the heavy seas, and the high and steep waves, which frequently occur on the outer Elbe. Thanks to special adjustments the crew can make, even in these places, fully reliable measurements. This 1640 is both strong and steady.’
Contrary to the standard 1640 the survey vessel designed for Cuxhaven does not have a deep-V hull. ‘It is a deep-V with a flat keel’, explained Wierenga. ‘It’s so flat that the vessel can even run aground without damage. The rudders and the propellers are placed in such a way that they can never touch the riverbed. Our technical team has designed and constructed everything in such a way that the draught of the vessel never exceeds 1 metre.’
For the first time a No Limit has been equipped with a nozzle. ‘This is usually done to increase the efficiency of the propellers, but we have chosen this solution in order to protect the propellers should the survey vessel touch the riverbed. The efficiency increase is an added bonus as well as the fact that a nozzle contributes to a better course stability.’ Even the cooling system of the engine has been changed. ‘A direct cooling combined with extreme shallow waters can result in the penetration of sand in the engine. To avoid this risk we have installed an indirect box cooler.’
By Jake Frith
Specification:
Overall length 16,40m
Overall width 5,40m
Draught 1,00m
Displacement approx. 30 tonnes
Fuel 3.000 litres
Drinking water supply 400 litres
Wast-water tank 500 litres
Maximum speed > 10 knots
Hull steel
Superstructure aluminium
Engines 2 MAN D 2866 190 kW continuous power 250 hp
