WEBVTT

00:00.560 --> 00:03.000
This is the Donnelly , the US Army

00:03.000 --> 00:04.889
Corps of Engineers' newest hopper

00:04.889 --> 00:07.039
dredge , now taking shape at Eastern

00:07.039 --> 00:09.261
Shipbuilding Group's Allington Shipyard

00:09.261 --> 00:13.149
in Panama City , Florida . Built to

00:13.149 --> 00:15.260
replace the nearly 60 year old dredge

00:15.260 --> 00:17.350
McFarland , the Donnelly is a modern

00:17.350 --> 00:19.350
ready reserve dredge that will help

00:19.350 --> 00:21.530
keep America's shipping channels open

00:21.590 --> 00:22.450
and safe .

00:25.780 --> 00:28.002
My name is Mike Cass . I'm a captain of

00:28.002 --> 00:30.002
the dredge McFarland and soon to be

00:30.002 --> 00:32.113
captain of the dredge Donnelley . The

00:32.113 --> 00:34.279
McFarland is responsible for dredging

00:34.540 --> 00:36.779
all navigation channels on the entire

00:36.779 --> 00:39.112
eastern Gulf Coast of the United States .

00:39.112 --> 00:41.446
And if those channels aren't maintained ,

00:41.446 --> 00:43.557
then larger , uh , commercial vessels

00:43.557 --> 00:45.668
aren't able to get in with their pole

00:45.668 --> 00:49.069
draft . The ship we've been operating

00:49.069 --> 00:51.990
is very traditional conventional

00:51.990 --> 00:54.150
propellers , rudders , everything's

00:54.150 --> 00:56.509
analog . The new ship is diesel

00:56.509 --> 00:58.950
electric , potted propulsion . It's got

00:58.950 --> 01:00.930
a larger hopper . It's got active

01:00.930 --> 01:02.930
jetting . It's gonna have autopilot

01:02.930 --> 01:05.389
dynamic positioning . It'll have dredge

01:05.389 --> 01:07.500
track , so you'll essentially be able

01:07.500 --> 01:09.722
to lay down the track and it'll stay on

01:09.722 --> 01:13.639
it by itself . Right now she

01:13.639 --> 01:15.879
is still a work in progress , blocks of

01:15.879 --> 01:18.360
steel , scaffolding , cranes , and

01:18.360 --> 01:21.160
welders' arcs , but every piece you see

01:21.160 --> 01:23.382
is part of a future ship that will help

01:23.382 --> 01:25.271
the corps respond to our nation's

01:25.271 --> 01:27.493
navigation challenges and keep commerce

01:27.493 --> 01:29.440
flowing in and out of our ports .

01:32.419 --> 01:34.697
To understand why the Donnelly matters ,

01:34.697 --> 01:37.150
it helps to understand dredging itself .

01:38.870 --> 01:41.092
A hopper dredge like the Donnelly works

01:41.092 --> 01:43.260
like a giant underwater vacuum ,

01:43.550 --> 01:45.717
sucking sediment off the bottom into a

01:45.717 --> 01:48.040
central hopper , then sailing to

01:48.040 --> 01:50.096
designated dredge material placement

01:50.096 --> 01:52.360
sites or to places where that material

01:52.360 --> 01:53.459
is needed most .

01:56.430 --> 01:58.430
The Donnelly takes this time-tested

01:58.430 --> 02:00.763
mission and pairs it with modern design ,

02:00.800 --> 02:03.099
automation , and safety features .

02:06.099 --> 02:08.266
So my name is Dobbie Winkler . I'm the

02:08.266 --> 02:10.488
chief engineer of the soon to be dredge

02:10.488 --> 02:12.710
Donnelly , and my role on the vessel is

02:12.710 --> 02:14.821
once we take delivery , I will , uh ,

02:14.821 --> 02:16.543
be the department head for the

02:16.543 --> 02:18.710
engineering department . Um , so far ,

02:18.710 --> 02:20.710
specific improvements , um , it's a

02:20.710 --> 02:22.710
diesel-electric plant and it's true

02:22.710 --> 02:24.543
diesel electric . There's , uh ,

02:24.543 --> 02:26.710
there's no shaft or propulsion , so it

02:26.710 --> 02:28.877
allows us to , um , to really optimize

02:28.877 --> 02:30.877
the , the available horsepower , so

02:30.877 --> 02:32.877
less power is necessary to move the

02:32.877 --> 02:34.877
vessel around . It's consuming less

02:34.877 --> 02:37.360
fuel . So , so far as the dredge

02:37.360 --> 02:39.582
systems , that's probably where the new

02:39.582 --> 02:41.804
vessel really stands out . Um , IHC has

02:41.804 --> 02:44.027
provided us with some really remarkable

02:44.027 --> 02:43.770
equipment , uh , starting with the

02:43.770 --> 02:45.826
dredge pumps . They're called Cutter

02:45.826 --> 02:48.048
Specials , and , you know , 40 years of

02:48.350 --> 02:50.350
research and development , I mean ,

02:50.350 --> 02:52.572
these things are fantastic . And , uh ,

02:52.572 --> 02:54.794
all kinds of science and geometry going

02:54.794 --> 02:54.570
on in those , uh , dredge pumps , but

02:54.570 --> 02:56.626
they make for ultra efficient , um ,

02:56.679 --> 02:58.839
dredge dredge pumps , which are the

02:58.839 --> 03:01.039
heart and soul of the dredge . Um , so

03:01.039 --> 03:03.261
far as the hopper system goes , they're

03:03.261 --> 03:05.483
hydraulically opening doors with , uh ,

03:05.483 --> 03:07.595
hydraulically opening sand channels ,

03:08.179 --> 03:10.235
and , um , that will allow us a much

03:10.235 --> 03:12.457
reduced , uh , kind of cycle time so we

03:12.457 --> 03:14.600
can dig and dump much faster than

03:14.600 --> 03:15.989
McFarlane's capable of .

03:18.779 --> 03:21.059
Turning a design on paper into steel in

03:21.059 --> 03:23.729
the water is a team effort . At

03:23.729 --> 03:25.889
Allington Shipyard , Eastern

03:25.889 --> 03:27.889
Shipbuilding Group is using modular

03:27.889 --> 03:30.111
construction , building large blocks of

03:30.111 --> 03:32.222
the hull , fitting them with piping ,

03:32.222 --> 03:34.449
cabling and equipment , then moving and

03:34.449 --> 03:35.782
welding them together .

03:38.440 --> 03:41.289
Throughout construction , you say staff

03:41.289 --> 03:43.345
from the Marine Design Center in the

03:43.345 --> 03:45.233
Philadelphia District are on site

03:45.410 --> 03:47.690
inspecting , testing , and verifying

03:47.690 --> 03:49.857
that systems meet the standards needed

03:49.857 --> 03:51.523
for a federal hopper dredge .

03:54.169 --> 03:56.699
My name is Bobby McCullough . I work

03:56.699 --> 03:58.866
for Marine Design Center with the Army

03:58.866 --> 04:01.259
Corps of Engineers . My role on board

04:01.259 --> 04:03.460
the Donnelly program within the dredge

04:03.460 --> 04:05.940
program's branch is to oversee the

04:05.940 --> 04:08.059
quality assurance and ensure that

04:08.059 --> 04:10.281
overall construction is being completed

04:10.289 --> 04:12.511
in accordance with contract and drawing

04:12.511 --> 04:16.250
requirements . So as a typical day of

04:16.250 --> 04:19.049
quality assurance , I'm inspecting

04:19.209 --> 04:22.450
construction quality , welding quality ,

04:22.929 --> 04:24.929
ensuring piping systems are being

04:24.929 --> 04:27.130
tested , and system installation .

04:30.679 --> 04:33.670
From steel cutting in 2025 to the

04:33.670 --> 04:35.829
recent keel laying milestone earlier

04:35.829 --> 04:38.269
this year , each step reflects close

04:38.269 --> 04:41.869
collaboration between ESG , UAS , and

04:41.869 --> 04:44.049
the Royal IHC design team .

04:47.140 --> 04:49.380
When the Donnelly joins the fleet , she

04:49.380 --> 04:51.269
will support the Corps navigation

04:51.269 --> 04:53.491
mission alongside private industry when

04:53.491 --> 04:54.991
extra capacity is needed .

04:57.640 --> 05:00.119
In moments when storms close channels

05:00.119 --> 05:02.760
or ports experience unexpected shoaling

05:02.880 --> 05:05.320
or strategic seaports must be rapidly

05:05.320 --> 05:07.653
prepared to support military deployment ,

05:07.679 --> 05:09.846
she can be called upon to help restore

05:09.846 --> 05:11.559
safe , reliable navigation .

05:14.730 --> 05:17.250
Seeing the ship take shape and being

05:17.250 --> 05:19.980
constructed , it gives me great pride

05:19.980 --> 05:22.329
that I'm part of something that's gonna

05:22.329 --> 05:25.329
help the US Army Corps of Engineers ,

05:25.730 --> 05:28.320
the dredging process , and the United

05:28.320 --> 05:29.320
States .

05:32.859 --> 05:36.529
For 250 years , the US Army Corps of

05:36.529 --> 05:38.640
Engineers has maintained our nation's

05:38.640 --> 05:40.820
water resources , dredging channels ,

05:40.940 --> 05:43.339
surveying coasts , improving rivers and

05:43.339 --> 05:46.209
harbors , and building locks , dams ,

05:46.420 --> 05:48.753
and levees that keep our economy moving .

05:51.809 --> 05:54.059
The Donnelly is a steel hulled reminder

05:54.059 --> 05:56.820
of that enduring maritime mission . She

05:56.820 --> 05:58.987
will carry the castle on her stack and

05:58.987 --> 06:01.098
a legacy of service in every port she

06:01.098 --> 06:03.264
visits , and as she takes shape in the

06:03.264 --> 06:05.809
yard , she reflects the ingenuity of

06:05.809 --> 06:08.649
her designer and builder and America's

06:08.649 --> 06:10.538
commitment to infrastructure that

06:10.538 --> 06:13.540
safeguards our nation's waterways .