Page 43: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (October 1983)

McDermott Derrick Barge 27

Upgraded to 2,400-Ton Lift

McDermott International, Inc., New Orle- ans, La., Derrick Barge 27 now has a lift ca- pacity of 2,400 tons, the largest in the Middle

East. Recently, the derrick barge underwent a conversion and upgrade to a combination der- rick/lay barge.

The newly installed Clyde Iron Works Crane lifts 1,400 tons fully revolving, 750 tons with its auxiliary block, 250 tons with its jib block, and 2,400 tons with the crane in a stationary position over the stern. For piledriving, Der- rick Barge 27 has a 2,000-hp boiler which pro- duces enough pressure to drive the largest hammers currently available.

When pipelaying, Derrick Barge 27's center slot assembly area can be completely enclosed against bad weather. Two gantry cranes for pipe handling, each capable of lifting 65 tons, track on the starboard and port sides of the barge, respectively. The assembly line can handle pipe up to 40 inches in outside diame- ter with pipe coatings of up to 1,500 pounds per linear foot. The line has six welding sta- tions and three additional stations for corro- sion-coating, repair, and X-ray inspection to ensure uninterrupted pipelaying. An adjusta- ble-height stinger hitch allows pipe to be low- ered or retrieved if operations must be suspended.

Derrick Barge 27 is a U.S.-flag vessel, ABS- certified for unrestricted ocean service, and is subject to U.S. Coast Guard inspection. The barge's dimensions are 420 feet by 138 feet by 28 feet. It operates in the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Suez and off the coast of India.

USCG Gentian Recommissioned

After $8.3-Million Renovation

Personnel at the Coast Guard Yard in Cur- tis Bay, Md., recently completed a restoration of the Coast Guard Cutter Gentian, a 180-foot oceangoing buoy tender (WLB). The overhaul of the World War II vintage vessel marked the second renovation of a Class A buoy tender under the U.S. Coast Guard's Service Life Ex- tension Program (SLEP). The yard recommis- sioned the CGC Sorrel, another 180-foot buoy tender, in January of this year after she too had gone through an extensive 16-month face lift.

The Coast Guard expects to conduct the

SLEP over the next 15 years, working to- wards the goal of renovating nine more WLBs before the program ends.

The yard held recommissioning ceremonies for the Gentian on August 4. Rear Adm.

Theodore Wojar, Chief of the Office of Navi- gation at Coast Guard Headquarters in Wash- ington, D.C., attended as guest speaker.

The upgrade of the vessel cost approxi- mately $8.3-million and involved 215,000 man- hours by yard workers and replacement of most of the machinery.

October 1, 1983

The vessel's weight-handling system was redesigned and the watertight capability of the ship was improved. Construction work in- cluded expansion of the ship's office and radio room, additional storeroom space and reloca- tion of the boom control booth.

The Gentian was originally commissioned in 1942 and served on active duty until 1976, when she was decommissioned at the Coast

Guard yard.

Navidyne And Medical Advisory

Systems Provide Free

Introductory Medical Service ' Ships fitted with Navidyne's INMARSAT ship terminal can now obtain free emergency medical advisory services by satellite.

An agreement has been reached between

Navidyne and Medical Advisory Systems, Inc. (MAS), to offer four months of free medical support to all customers purchasing Navi- dyne's ESZ-8000 Satellite Communicator. MAS is a United States company providing medical support to vessels at sea through INMARSAT and other radio systems. MAS operates a

Medical Response Center near Washington,

D.C., staffed 24 hours a day by physicians and other medical and communications specialists, offering instant medical diagnosis and recom- mendations for treatment for accident or ill- ness aboard ship.

According to Navidyne vice president for corporate development, Sanford Jones, the availability of instant medical support via sat- ellite can have a significant impact on safety at sea. In addition, the INMARSAT-MAS link can produce considerable cost savings. In many cases, with prompt medical diagnosis and first aid instruction, a vessel can proceed to the next scheduled port. It has been esti- mated that as many as one-third of all medi- cal evacuations could be avoided.

For information on the ESZ-8000 Satellite

Communicator and the MAS medical response program,

Write 60 on Reader Service Card

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Write 273 on Reader Service Card 45

A Heavyweight—McDermott International's Derrick/Lay Barge 27 with upgraded 2,400-ton crane.