The Terra Marique passes final tests with straight A's
The Terra Marique was earlier this month put through her paces when she underwent a rigorous schedule of functionality testing in Hull's historic Albert Dock.
Vessel owners and operators Robert Wynn & Sons have carried out a series of tests to prove the design and functionality of the £8.5m freight grant aided vessel. The most dramatic of which saw the Terra Marique's daughter vessel the Inland Navigator float in to the Terra Marique's hold and receive a 130 tonnes load using the onboard power lift system.
While the vessel undertook rigorous sea trials in the Netherlands prior to delivery in March of last year, this was the first time the vessels ability to semi submerge had been tested.
The test involved erecting the Terra Marique's portable gantry lifting system capable of carrying a single piece load of 500 tonnes.
A load of some 130 tonnes was suspended above the mid roadway whilst the 2211 tonnes vessel was then deliberately flooded with 250,000 gallons of water. This part of the operation required very careful monitoring of the Terra Marique’s draft as she was bodily sunk down. Once the water within the hold was at the same level as the water outside, the remaining watertight door was removed, the stern ramp hydraulically lowered into the water and the Inland Navigator was then brought into the now flooded hold.
For the test, the Bow roadway was maintained in an elevated position with the centre and stern roadways in the lowered position, and now completely submerged. The load was lifted into and out of the hold of the Inland Navigator both in a floating and dry condition. Specially designed docking blocks had been positioned along the hold floor of the Terra Marique for her daughter vessel to settle on. Once docked, the watertight doors of the T.M. were repositioned and the hold pumped out.
Chris Johnson, Project Engineer said.” The test went exceptionally well and the Terra Marique performed near perfectly. All of the team involved are well satisfied that we have the right tools for the job to hand”
Tim West, Robert Wynn & Sons, Corporate Affairs added.” This is the final piece of the engineering puzzle now in place. We are now able to take a single piece load of up to some 300 tonnes and move it entirely by water from, say, Nottingham to Worcester or Windsor to York.
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