All American Marine to build survey vessel for Corps

FEBRUARY 23, 2016—Aluminum boat builder All American Marine, Inc. (AAM), Bellingham, WA, was recently awarded a contract by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for the design and construction of a new 68 ft Teknicraft-designed, hydrofoil-supported aluminum catamaran survey vessel.

The as-yet unnamed aluminum hulled catamaran will replace the 65 ft x 26 ft USACE survey vessel Shuman, which was built in 1970. The new vessel will primarily perform survey missions and some dive operations in support of dredging work planned within the Corps’ Philadelphia District.

The 68 ft x 26 ft custom aluminum catamaran will be designed by Teknicraft Design, Ltd., Auckland, New Zealand. This contract follows the successful delivery of the 62 ft Florida II, foil-assisted survey vessel that AAM was previously awarded to construct for the USACE Jacksonville District. The Florida II (shown at right) is 62 ft x 24 ft, with a draft of 2 ft 11 in. Propulsion was supplied by two MTU 10V2000 main engines, rated at 1,205 hp at 2,250 rev/min, that drove two HamiltonJet HJ 422 waterjets via ZF ZF500 reduction gears. The Florida II has a maximum speed of 36 knots.

The aluminum hull will feature the Teknicraft Design signature hull shape with symmetrical bow, asymmetrical tunnel, and integrated wave piercer.  A custom aluminum hydrofoil will be fit to span between the sponsons to generate lift of the semi-displacement hulls and enhance performance.  Teknicraft has been designing hydrofoil-supported vessels for over 20 years and has become a leader in this market. 

Propulsion power for the propeller-driven vessel will be provided by two Caterpillar C18 diesel engines, each rated 1,001 bhp at 2,300 rev/min, with an EPA Tier III emissions rating.

Auxiliary power will be supplied by two Northern Lights C40M.3 40 kW generators. The suite of deck gear includes a hydraulic A-frame, davit, scientific winch, and moon pool with deployable sonar strut.  Dive platforms will be fit to the transom of each sponson. The 28-knot cruise speed will allow the Corps to get to the survey site much quicker, which in turn will allow for more time on site and greater data collection in less time.