Biblia Marine to add 500-ton floating dry dock

Biblia will use the dry dock to service its own tugboats and will offer similar repair and maintenance services to other vessel owners

Mystic, Conn., based JMS Naval Architects is designing a 500-ton lift capacity floating dry dock for Biblia Marine Towing and Transportation of Savannah, Ga.

With its fleet of tugs and barges, Biblia has provided bed-leveling, agitation dredging, and dragging services for decades in the waters of Savannah, Delaware Bay, Charleston Harbor, Fernandina, and Jacksonville.

Biblia will use the dry dock to service its own tugboats and will offer similar repair and maintenance services to other vessel owners in the area from its Savannah River facilities.

The new dry dock, which will replace Biblia’s existing dry dock, is 120 ft long, 60 ft wide, has a 6 ft deep pontoon, and 14 ft tall wing walls. The dock will primarily be used for hauling tug boats with a maximum length of 120 ft and maximum draft of 10 ft. The dry dock design incorporates a shore power connection, onboard generator, individual pumps, and one end of the dry dock is raked to improve towing.

JMS will provide a complete design package that meets the requirements of the ABS Rules for Building and Classing Steel Floating Dry Docks.

JMS is developing a complete engineering and design package, including all detail structural design, tankage, and outfitting design. Systems design will include the ballast system, sea chest arrangement, equipment specification, and pump and discharge piping systems. JMS is also designing the power system including generator arrangement, fuel tank arrangement, and electrical and piping system one-lines.

Biblia is undertaking upgrades and expansions at its yard, including design and construction of the dry dock, with the support of a $1.3 million 2019 U.S. DoT Small Shipyard Grant,