Large floating drydock arrives at San Diego

ca-drydockThe largest floating drydock in California recently arrived at the San Diego shipyard of BAE Systems. It is 950 feet long. The company has planned a $100 million investment to develop the yard ahead of the anticipated development of the US Navy along the West Coast of the US.

The yard was towed in by the Polish tug Terasea Eagle. A team from BAE will take two months completing the final assembly and testing of the dock, after which it will be certified as ready for use. It is hoped to be fully operational by early in 2017, and already the first ship, USS New Orleans, is booked in for servicing.

The heavy lift vessel Blue Marlin passes through Astoria, Ore., on its way to Portland, Aug. 24, 2014. Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary personnel, working with local law enforcement, provided an escort for the ship to ensure the safety of boaters along the Columbia River. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Klingenberg)

Whilst this is big, the largest floating drydock in the United States is the Vigorous, at 960 feet long. This is based at Vigor Industrial’s shipyard at Portland, Oregon, and has an 80,000-ton capacity. It was designed to meet the requirements of the US Navy’s military standards as well as the American Bureau of Shipping. The drydock was delivered aboard the heavy lift vessel Blue Marlin in 2014.

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