Geo Shipyard Delivers to USACE

The Redlinger and the Elton, both 60-ft Hysucraft (hydrofoil supported catamarans), are survey vessel sister ships designed and built for the United States Army Corps of Engineers. They are serving the Portland Oregon district. Redlingers mission is in Portland along the Columbia River. Eltons mission is in Astoria and out to the Columbia Bar.

The vessels have a top speed of 35knots with a cruising speed of 30 knots at 80% power. They can survey at up to 15 knots but typically their work is done at 10 knots. The vessels are designed by Viking Fast Craft Solutions, LLC., Staunton Ill. They are built to meet ABS high speed rule and also built to meet U.S. Coast Guard Subchapter T rules for safety.

These boats are survey boats that go out and measure the depths of the waterways and give that information to the dredges, so the dredges can keep the waterways clear for shipping. They have built into them a moon pool aft of the superstructure that opens to let down into the water between the catamaran hulls a purpose built strut and pod that the multi and single beam transducers are mounted to for their survey. There is no A frame or the need to tow any instruments behind the vessel.

The vessels are fitted with dive platforms for diving should the need arise. The dive platforms also have the mufflers for the main engines built into them, freeing up much desired space in the engine rooms. The main cabin features plenty of spacious room for the four person crew and their specialized equipment with two work stations. The viewing from the helm is 360 degrees. There are no bunks on board, the idea is that with the vessel speed the crew can return to port every night. They have two settees for passenger seats just aft of the condole facing forward. Port side hull below deck houses the head and starboard side hull below deck houses the galley.

The console is spacious with twin NavNet Furuno radars, twin Icom VHF radios, Furuno satellite Compass, Ritchie magnetic compass, Furuno AIS system, Furuno loud hailer, Murphy bilge alarm panel with Gem bilge sensors, Hamilton Blue Arrow control and steering system, fuel gauges, MTU monitor control gauge packages, twin Carlisle and Finch search light controls, Delta T engine room blower fan controls and engine room emergency fire suppression monitors.

The vessel is powered by twin MTU Series 60, 82 5hp engines driving twin Hamilton 403 Water Jet pumps through Twin Disc transmissions. Ships power is twin Northern Lights 12 KW generator sets with a Quality Power, Inc. switch gear control with A/C ground fault system, a tie breaker and shore power breaker. Also the vessel has a D/C ground fault system on all battery banks.

Specifications:
Length, o.a.    59.8 ft   
Beam    23.5 ft
Depth    9.3 ft   
Draft:    3.5 ft
Hull/superstructure material    Marine aluminum
Main propulsion    MTU Series 60, 825 hp @2300 rpm x 2   
Gears    Twin Disc 4114A x 2   
Water jets    Hamilton 403 x 2   
Generator    Northern Lights, 12 KW x 2   
Speed    35 knots
Cruise    30 knots
Electronics    Furuno
Controls    Hamilton Blue Arrow
Search light    Carlisle & Finch x 2
Lighting    Imtra, LED, DC
Anchor Winch    Kinematics, hyd.
Fuel Capacity    1,200 gal
Potable water capacity    100 gal
Crew    4