Allen Marine, Inc. has announced the construction of the world's first aluminum floating dry dock. This fully self-contained, eco-friendly unit represents a major breakthrough in boat-lifting equipment.
The aluminum floating dry dock is the brainchild of CEO David Allen. The dry dock is 140 feet long, with 42 feet of space between the 26-foot tall wing walls. It is capable of lifting vessels of up to 1000 tons, at 5 LT/feet of keel block loading. The Allen Marine floating dry dock is unique because it is constructed entirely of marine-grade aluminum (a high-caliber alloy). Marine grade aluminum alloys rival the strength of steel in terms of durability and strength with the added benefit of being extremely lightweight, and therefore more practical.
The Allen Marine aluminum dry dock system features low maintenance and will not rust, making it ideally suited for the corrosive environment in salt or fresh water applications. The finished surface includes a cathodic protection system that protects it from salt water degradation in the hostile environment of saltwater. Many marina operators and boatyard owners would like to build a new dry dock at their facility, but can't do so because they don't have room. Often, residential or commercial developers have bought up the waterfront land surrounding a marina or boatyard, leaving no place to install a shore-based dry dock.
Allen Marine's floating dry dock provides a unique solution to the problems associated with minimally available land. Ease of installation in offshore locations or as an addition to an existing marina or boatyard via a ramp. It may be fastened to a bulkhead, or stabilized in water using piles or spuds. You don't need to buy new land, or apply for land or environmental permits, to install the floating dry dock.
The floating dry dock compliments boatyards and marinas that may already have land-based dry docks. Boatyard owners can use the floating dry dock to provide quick cleaning, diagnostic, and surveying services for boats, while using their shore-based dry dock for long-term jobs such as re-fits and engine replacements. This combination attracts more boat owners as customers, and provides an excellent ROI for the boatyard owner. The Allen Marine aluminum floating dry dock is a very portable solution. You can disassemble the dry dock into five modules and reassemble it anywhere. When the dry dock is assembled but unoccupied by a vessel, you can store or transport it in very shallow water.
Why bring the ship all the way to the dry dock, when you can bring the floating dry dock to the ship’s location. Due to the lightweight-modular design, the unit can be easily relocated almost anywhere: through a low river, over a sandbar or even to a deeper location, where you can secure it using portable spuds.
The environmentally friendly “green” design ensures eco-compliance. The floating dry dock allows marina and boatyard owners to perform cleaning operations in full compliance with environmental laws. All wash-off from boat cleanings is collected in the dry dock's slurry tank, and can then be disposed of or treated with an optional water treatment system. The Allen Marine floating dry dock requires minimal operational costs, requiring only a portable generator set for the boatlift. Also noteworthy: while the standard size is 140 feet x 56 feet x 26 feet, Allen Marine can build a custom fitted aluminum floating dry dock designed to match unique customer specifications, provided by the marina or boatyard owner.
Founded in 1967, Allen Marine, Inc. builds and operates ships and structures for the commercial marine market. Headquartered in Sitka, Alaska, Allen Marine has gained a healthy reputation for quality by providing clients with innovative designs and dependable, environmentally-safe vessels, marine bridges, and dry docks.
Allen Marine's clients include ship owners and operators, maritime business leaders, government organizations, oil drilling and exploration companies, passenger and ferry terminals, marine environmental companies, and national and state park services.