Barge extraordinaire

The sophisticated Ro-Ro/docking barge Terra Marique enters service.

Built in the Ukraine for a road haulage company, with 99% of the finance coming from the British Government, the Terra Marique is indeed a unique vessel. Described by its builder, Dutch specialist Damen, as a Ro-Ro/docking barge, the 80m long unit was constructed at the builder?s Ukrainian yard and completed in Holland. This followed the drawing up of a tender specification by consultant naval architects Burness Corlett and Partners who then went on to specify the systems, as well as serve as technical consultant to the ship owner and manage the project throughout.

Terra Marique was built for Robert Wynn & Sons Ltd., established in 2000 and a wholly owned subsidiary of road haulage specialist Wynns Ltd, which will operate the vessel and its daughter vessel, on a “not-for-profit” basis. The barge is the result of a partnership between Wynns and the UK Department for Transport which provided a total of £8.5 million, under a Freight Facilities Grant, for the construction of Terra Marique and the conversion of Inland Navigator, a former inland waterway tank barge. Robert Wynn & Sons will be subject to Government audit and its operations will be governed by a legal framework put in place by the Department for Transport.

With the newly built barge, Wynns, a leading UK specialist in handling what are known as Abnormal Indivisible Loads (AILs) and which often cause major congestion on highways when moved by road, will now be able to move these not only across from the near continent and the inland waterway systems of North West Europe, but also around the coast of the UK, across the Irish Sea and along many rivers and inland waterways. These include the tidal stretches of the Thames and Trent, and the Manchester Ship Canal.

It is designed to take single loads of up to 1,200 tonnes or up to three loads each of a maximum 400 tonnes while the smaller 44.4m long Inland Navigator, which draws a mere 0.35m in lightship condition, can move 400 tonne loads even further upstream and can be transported aboard Terra Marique for sea voyages.

Terra Marique is indeed a multi purpose vessel as it can operate in a variety of ways including handling multi-wheeled trailers in Ro-Ro mode, beaching for loading and unloading in a fully dried-out condition, semi-submerging for float-in/float-out operations including with the Inland Navigator, and using its 500-tonne capacity power lift for lift-on/lift-off operations.

Hold

The main feature of the steel constructed barge is the hold which measures 67m by 9m, has a maximum underdeck cargo height of 6.5m, and is closed by a series of aluminium panels. Outboard and below this are ballast tanks which are used in conjunction with a highly automated Praxis ballast and cargo handling system. A pre-calculated ballast sequence is automatically executed directly related to the cargo position, keeping the trim and draught of the vessel under control.

The system comprises four 680m3/h ballast pumps. At the aft end of the hold is a “stackable” panel door which, when in the closed position, is hydraulically watertight cleated. With all the panels removed the vessel can operate as a dock ship.

There are three elevating roadways which can work separately or joined together to enable cargo to be received from quay heights varying from 200mm to over 5m. Each roadway is lifted or lowered by eight integral 125 tonne hydraulic jacks giving a nominal lift capacity of 1,000 tonnes/roadway and supplied by Hydrospex, a company that was involved in lifting the Russian submarine Kursk using comparable technology. The roadways have also been designed to give 2° of heel and 3° of trim enabling the vessel to take the ground on unprepared surfaces.

Ramps

Terra Marique has two types of shore ramp ? a permanent ramp and load spreader, and for working at unprepared riversides or quays, ramp extensions of 14m unsupported span. In addition there is a 450 tonne lifting gantry provided which can be assembled and used to lift loads from or to the daughter vessel or trailers.

Further, two deck cranes, each rated at 10 tonnes lift at 13.5m radius are installed for handling miscellaneous equipment.

Mooring arrangements are handled by four 5-tonne at 14m/min hydraulic winches each capable of exerting a pull of 10 tonnes. In addition two 7.5m spud poles are provided.

Although it will normally operate with tugs, the barge is able to move under its own power being equipped with a pair of 630kW Caterpillar 3508 TA engines as part of a diesel electric installation arranged in an engine room forward of the cargo hold. Power is supplied to four 200kW Jastram W40

azimuth jet thrusters

? two forward and two aft ? that give the barge a maximum forward speed of 4.7 knots and enable it to move sideways at up to 1.5 knots. A bollard pull of 5.5 tonnes can also be achieved.

Control of the vessel is from a “control cabin” forward which is mounted on a mechanical lifting device enabling it to be lowered to below the barge?s air draught. Here are concentrated all the controls for both cargo handling and barge operation. Included are a Transas electronic chart system, Ben Marine Anthea log, Navitronics echosounder and a Closed Circuit Television system. Forward of the control cabin is a separate accommodation container providing facilities including toilet and galley for a crew of three.

The first transport operation undertaken by the Terra Marique has involved moving a Concorde supersonic airliner from London?s Heathrow Airport to an aviation museum in Scotland. The Concorde, G-BOAA, was the first to enter service with British Airways in January 1976 before being grounded after the Paris crash. Its return to service after modification was then cancelled and it never flew again.

Its transport to Scotland entailed removal of the wings and tail and carriage by road from the airport to Isleworth on the Thames where it was loaded aboard Terra Marique. This exercise demonstrated the flexibility of the barge as it is the largest vessel to date to be brought up the river this far. Use of the Terra Marique has meant that the journey to Scotland has been by sea, taking around four days but without causing any hold ups or congestion on Britain?s roads.

Principal Particulars

Length o.a. 80.00m

Breadth moulded 16.50m

Depth (coaming) 8.50m

Draught maximum 6.20m

Corresponding deadweight 2,211 tonnes

Draught at 400 tonnes dw 2.00m

Draught design 2.75m

Speed forward 4.7 knots

Speed transverse 1.5 knots

Main engines 2 x Caterpillar 3508 TA

Total power 1,260kW

Propulsion machinery 4 x 200kW Jastram W40

azimuth jet thrusters

Classification Lloyd?s Register of Shipping