Or rather lack of work. These vessels have been dormant since before Christmas, today (Jan 2nd) was the first opportunity to take pictures of them. Quite a windy day and cold with a north wind blowing directly at me - I didn’t stay long!
I wonder how much it costs to have these lying idle? They have been in Sparkes since December 4th.
They are:
Needles, a 300m³ capacity self-propelled, split hopper barge with a 600 horsepower Caterpillar engine and a 360° Schottle Drive Leg and 100kw bow thruster which makes it highly manoeuvrable.
Doreen Dorward, a self-propelled spud leg pontoon utility vessel, has a well and a moon pool to allow the long-reach excavator to operate to a depth of 12 metres. She is powered by two 150jh engines driving a 360° rudder/propeller.
They are accompanied by a wee Beaver class workboat (8.6 metres) with a 138hp Perkins and a conventional screw and rudder.
