Italdraghe dredger on pontoon at Seawork commissioning in the UK

The company’s new dredger, which has been built to Italian naval registry regulations, has been designed for precision dredging projects in marinas and waterways where disruption needs to be kept to a minimum.

Sarah Baulk, export manager, Italdraghe, told Maritime Journal: “This range of dredgers is unique and represents a move away from standard cutter suction dredgers which, while very efficient in terms of production output, do not always offer the flexibility required for dredging inside a small port or narrow waterway.”

The first MarinaMaster 8000 is powered by an Iveco C87 common rail diesel engine which drives a four bladed 565mm rotor diameter Italdraghe PD 180 centrifugal dredging pump, capable of pumping up to 100m³ per hour of dredge material.

The 13.70m dredger, which can dredge to a depth of 8m, also features two sponsons which are hinged outwards to ensure stability during dredging operations, a horizontally hinged dredging arm and a 700mm hydraulic cutter head, suitable for many different dredging conditions and materials.

All features of the dredger have been designed to be controlled by one crew member from the control cabin mounted above the dredge arm.

Ms Baulk added: “This first Marina Master 8000 was ordered by Yacht Havens of the UK to work initially in its Fambridge harbour in Essex. However over time, the dreger will be used in several of the many harbours managed by Yacht Havens across the UK.”

The dredger is due to arrive in the UK mid-March ready for testing to take place on 19 and 20 March at the Yacht Havens Port in North Fambridge.

After clearing sediment from Fambridge harbour, the dredger will travel to Southampton for the 2013 Seawork exhibition, which takes place in the ABP Port of Southampton from 25-27 June.