PANAMA CITY, FL – Today, Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) announced the delivery of R.B. WEEKS (ESG Hull 258) a 8,550 cubic yard capacity trailing suction hopper dredge constructed for Weeks Marine, Inc.
“It’s our pleasure to once again deliver a quality vessel on time and on budget to our valued customers at Weeks Marine, Inc.,” said Joey D’Isernia, CEO of Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. “The R.B. Weeks joins an impressive fleet that works alongside the Army Corps of Engineers to preserve our treasured waterways.”
Despite building the vessel through the height of the COVID pandemic, ESG’s workforce was able to deliver the vessel on schedule. The R.B. WEEKS was constructed at ESG’s Allanton Shipyard and was launched on June 17, 2022. The vessel outfitting and trials were conducted at ESG’s Port St. Joe Shipyard.
According to Weeks Marine President and CEO Eric Ellefsen, the delivery of R.B. Weeks is a significant milestone for the company and the largest capital investment in Weeks Marine history, which spans over a century.
“We look forward to putting the R.B. Weeks to work deepening and maintaining navigation channels, restoring storm-damaged coastal barrier islands and nourishing beaches lost to erosion, aiding the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other key clients,” he said.
The R.B. WEEKS is named in honor of Richard B. Weeks, a co-founder of Weeks Marine and married to Magdalen Weeks, the namesake of the sister vessel MAGDALEN (ESG 256), built by ESG. In nearly all respects, the R.B. WEEKS is identical to the M/V MAGDALEN delivered by ESG in 2017. The vessel has a hopper capacity of 8,550 cubic yards and includes an electrical power, propulsion, and dredge machinery package by Royal IHC, GE Tier IV engines, along with several accommodation and crew comfort upgrades.
The R.B. WEEKS trailing suction hopper dredge features the following characteristics:
| Vessel Name: | R.B. WEEKS |
| ESG Hull#: | 258 |
| Dimensions (Overall): | 364’-06” x 79’-6”’x 27’-3” |
| Designer: | Royal IHC |
| Main Engines: | (2) GE 16V250 MDC IMOIII/EPA Tier 4 |
| Main Propulsion: | (2) Wartsila CPP in Nozzles |
| Reduction Gears: | (4) Siemens (Flender) |
| Bow Thruster: | (1) Wartsila Fixed Pitch Tunnel Unit |
| Main Generators: | (2) Hyundai |
| Auxiliary Generator: | (1) GE 6L250 MDC IMOIII/EPA Tier 4 / Hyundai |
| Emergency Generator: | (1) Caterpillar C18 IMOII/EPA Tier 3 |
| Classification: | Lloyd’s Register, X100A1 Hopper Dredger, XLMC, UMS |
| Flag & Regulatory: | USA, USCG |
| Hopper Capacity: | 8,550 yd³ (6540m3) |
| Accommodations: | 26 Person |
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About Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc.
Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) is an American owned and operated shipbuilder with three shipyards on the Florida Gulf Coast. They build world class vessels for national defense and commercial clients, including the U.S. Coast Guard’s Heritage Class Offshore Patrol Cutters. ESG is the largest private sector employer in Northwest Florida and is a 2017 recipient of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Small Business of the Year award. With a portfolio of over 350 vessels and Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) and Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) certified systems, ESG is known as one of the most diverse vessel construction companies in the country. www.easternshipbuilding.com
About Weeks Marine, Inc.
Established in 1919, Weeks Marine, Inc. is one of North America’s largest marine, dredging and tunneling contractors. The company successfully completes projects throughout North and South America, from inland waterways to offshore sites in the Pacific and the Atlantic. Headquartered in Cranford, New Jersey, Weeks manages a network of regional offices in Louisiana, Texas, Hawaii, Guam, Ontario and Nova Scotia. Weeks and its subsidiaries Healy Tibbitts Builders Inc., McNally International, Inc. and North American Aggregates are wholly owned subsidiaries of Kiewit Corporation. Learn more at www.weeksmarine.com. Learn more at www.weeksmarine.com. Connect with Weeks Marine on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.
