Dredging at Quonset

Dredge No. 53 - Click for larger image

Today I had the opportunity to go out onto the bay (via tugboat) and visit a dredging operation off of Quonset Point. I was very impressed with the entire operation, especially with the accuracy with which they are able to control the dig. The captain told us that they can dig as little as a tenth of a foot off the bottom and have dug trenches as deep as 150 feet! The clamshell bucket in the picture below will pull up "two dump trucks full' of dirt in a single bite. If you look at the barge tied along side of the dredge in the picture above and you can see that it is split in half. That is how it empties, they the haul the dirt to a spot about 6 miles west of Block Island, 9 miles south of the Rhode Island shore- an eight hour trip from this location. A truly incredible operation. Thanks to everyone at the Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company for their great hospitality

Digging Water - a demo of the bucket

The dredge company logo