SHEARWATER
Shipbuildervessel built by
Hall, Russell & Company, Limited
(Aberdeen, Scotland, 1864 - 1992)
Date11 June 1968
Object NameDREDGER
MediumSTEEL
ClassificationsShip
Dimensionslength 112' 3" x breadth 28' 7" x depth 10'
Gross Tonnage: 342 ton
Gross Tonnage: 342 ton
Object numberABDSHIP002624
Keywords
Yard Number: 939
Official Number: 335164
Fate: still extant (2016)
Propulsion: Motor
Description: Grab suction dredger, 1 deck, machinery aft
Owners:
1968: Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Scotland.
1978: Grampian Regional Council
1996: Moray Council
2012: Shearwater Dredging, Edinburgh.
General History:
Original cost £20,000. Used by Dept. of Agriculture and Fisheries for dredging in smaller ports in North East Scotland, such as Portsoy, Buckie, Arbroath.
The contract to build the SHEARWATER was awarded to Hall, Russell by the Scottish Government who also ordered the fishery research ship CLUPEA (940) together. SHEARWATER is a thin screw grab suction dredger. A Priestman crane with a buckey grab is situated on the bow which deposits the silt from the harbour into an open holdwell on the starboard side holdwell. A trailing suction pipe is stowed on deck when required for sandy shingle is lowered over the side. The forward end of the pipe is sleeved through a steel plate which slides into 2 guide rails that go down the ship side to a valve hole at the bilge bottom. Once the pipe is in place the valve is opened, the pumps are switched on and the gravel is sucked into the holdwell. When the holdwell is full the ship proceeds out to sea to dump its load by opening six hinged doors under the keel.
In 1978 it was deemed too expensive and sold to Grampian Regional Council (although listed in Lloyds as owned by UK Government) who continued dredging work.
It was reported in the Evening Express (date unknown) that the vessel was being sold to new owners in Rosyth in 2013 for further use. A replacement dredger is proposed to replace SHEARWATER by the Scottish Government.
SHEARWATER is still in operation in 2016, after being sold by its previous owners Moray Council in 2012. It is now owned by Shearwater Dredging, Edinburgh. Moray has a new dredger that has replaced SHEARWATER. It was built by MacDurk shipyard and is called SHELKIA.
SHEARWATER was spotted on 23 Sept. 2016 by Neil Young in Peterhead dry dock undergoing repairs to the prop shafts. It was noticed that the original grab crank had been removed and a hydraulic J.C.B. crane in its place. Also the trailing suction gear has also been removed as it was never used at all as said from Chief Engineer. (Neil Young was at the building of the ship).
Notes:
2 Oil 4 SA each 6 cylinders (6½"x7½") producing 360bhp, by Berglus Kelvin Co., Glasgow.
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