The latest Dockmaster pontoon has been installed for Dong Energy to serve their Barrow Offshore Windfarm (BOWind) project. We have designed this unusual berthing facility to meet a most difficult brief; due to the need for the Walney channel to be periodically dredged for the passage of submarines the pontoon had to be restrained without any piles, anchors or any other attachment to the river bed. Further complicating the task the site is subject to an 11m tidal range and, on extreme low tides the pontoon can ground on the sloping sea bed. To overcome these constraints the pontoon is moored by its tubular brow that connects it to the shore together with four mooring chains also connected to the shore. The brow's hinged support provides three degrees of freedom and permits the pontoon to be swung to one side when dredging takes place.

 

Windcat vessels normally berth bow on to the pontoon for crew transfer as they do to the wind turbines but the pontoon can also accommodate alongside berthing on the sides with one of the side berths being fitted with a fueling facility.

 

This is the first of four berthing facilities being constructed at Barrow using Dockmaster pontoons; the others are for ABP, Siemens and the Ormonde wind farm. All the berths are due to be completed by September 2010.

 

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