THE success of the first lines boat/utility vessel Dongara Marine built for Jetwave Marine led the Western Australian marine services provider to acquire a second, which it describes as “absolutely sensational”.
Jetwave Nelson Point is the latest addition to Jetwave Marine’s owned and operated fleet, which includes nearly 30 specialised commercial vessels including harbour tugs, barges, multi-cats, utility/crew boats, and port service craft. These cater to the requirements of clients in the oil and gas, and resource industries Australia-wide.
Designed by Southerly Designs, the 9.8-metre aluminium workboat can perform a variety of harbour services tasks including line handling, crew/personnel transfer, and survey operations. Completed in late May it went straight to work upon arrival in Port Hedland.
For the primary lines boat task, Dongara Marine has fitted the vessel with a towing crucifix rated to 2.5 tonnes. The two crew sit in a covered protective cage forward of this, with a mesh guard aft shielding against potential lines snap back. The attention paid to minimising the chance of lines getting caught is reflected across the boat in details such as bollards recessed within the bulwarks.
To facilitate crew/personnel transfer operations, fold-down seats for six passengers are integrated into the bulwarks. In addition to handling lines, the flush aft deck with open transom enables carriage of 2.2 tonnes of deck cargo.
As with the previous vessel the propulsion package consists of a single 272kW Yanmar diesel, Twin Disc gearbox, and a HamiltonJet waterjet. A key reason for selecting the HJ322 waterjet was its combination of towing power, cavitation resistance, and high-speed performance.
While high speed is unusual for a lines boat, Jetwave Marine’s operations manager, Mick Warren, notes it is an added benefit that also has operational advantages.
“We don’t often use the speed, because mostly we are handling lines. For us, the advantages of using waterjet propulsion in that role are the enhanced manoeuvring, directional thrust, and avoiding having an exposed propeller with consequent entanglement risks,” he said.
“The speed is really a bonus, and it’s certainly good to have when we need to move between jobs quickly, and when transferring personnel.”
To help optimise machinery operating conditions in Port Hedland’s often extreme temperatures, Jetwave Nelson Point is fitted with a full engine room ventilation system provided by Marine Air Flow. This includes mist eliminator grilles, outlet grilles, DC compact fans and air dampers.
