Mike Hooks orders new 27-inch cutter suction dredge at Mobile Pulley

Conceptual drawing of 27 inch cutter suction dredge

Mike Hooks LLC, West Lake, La., has awarded the SPI/Mobile Pulley Works shipyard in Mobile, Ala., a contract to building a new state-of-the-art, 27-inch cutter suction dredge to be named Lorraine Hooks.

Mike Hooks owners, Kim Hooks McMahon and Ronnie Hooks, are looking forward to the continuation of a hardworking family legacy, saying, “Our new 27-inch dredge will be named the Lorraine Hooks after the beloved matriarch and wife of the founder, Mike Hooks.”

Mobile Pulley Works owner Billy Prine noted that the company has a longstanding relationship with Hooks, dating back to its first project with the dredging company in the 1970s, and said “After 45 years, it feels like family.”

The new CSD Lorraine Hooks will be constructed in accordance with U.S. Coast Guard regulations and the latest requirements established by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, including the implementation of the Dredging Quality Management (DQM) program. It will be designed and built in line with IMO Green Passport standards, with all material used in its construction being tracked and inventoried.

The dredge is being designed to the latest industry standards to maximize safety, comfort, and efficiency. Its on-board crew accommodations and its lever control room will be constructed on vibration mounts to reduce fatigue caused by harmonic vibrations and noise levels.

“The U.S. dredging industry is a world-class leader in safety, and Mike Hooks LLC is a prime example, raising the bar on safety and integrating the most advanced designs to reduce fatigue and ensure a healthy workforce,” said Michael Gerhardt, managing director of the Council for Dredging and Marine Construction Safety (CDMCS). “Hooks’ unwavering commitment to safety is as clear today with the announcement of their new dredge as it was when they rallied the industry to address the challenges of dredging near underwater pipelines. The CDMCS is grateful for their support and leadership and congratulates them on this milestone.”

Mike Hooks LLC delivers dredging services for government and private industry partners throughout the Gulf Coast of the United States. Its completed projects have spanned from Brownsville, Texas to the Florida Panhandle. The company’s fleet of hydraulic cutterhead suction dredges provides services that include navigable waterway maintenance dredging, wetland replenishment, beach restoration, harbor excavation, and new construction.

In addition to the new dredge, Hooks and Mobile Pulley Works are working closely on overhauling many of the key components and equipment on Hooks’ existing fleet of dredges. This will include all-new, wear-resistant dredge pumps that provide an efficiency of up to 90%, rebuilding and replacing worn ladders as well as the drives to pumps and cutterheads. Mobile Pulley Works has also been contracted to deliver ball joints, pontoons, and pipeline to provide additional support to Hooks’ existing and future dredging operations.

“Mike Hooks dredging company invests in America. The Hooks family has been providing top notch Gulf Coast dredging and marine services for decades,” said William P. Doyle, CEO of the Dredging Contractors of America. “There is no substitute for the quality American workmanship provided by Hooks and shipbuilder Mobile Pulley. These folks are American owned, American built, American staffed, and American Strong.”