Manson’s derrick barge VALHALLA and support vessels navigated 2,344 nautical miles across the Pacific Ocean this fall to perform dredging for the P-209 Dry Dock 3 Replacement mega-project at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu, HI. Before the vessels set sail to Hawaii, the VALHALLA went into drydock for regular maintenance.
Readying for the Journey
Preparing a vessel for a new project comes second nature to Manson’s hardworking equipment group and crews; the maintenance of the derrick barge VALHALLA is no exception.
In August 2023, the VALHALLA drydocked at the Lind Marine Shipyard in Vallejo, CA, for its interim inspection—the first of two in a five-year span—to prepare for the dredging project in Honolulu.
“The VALHALLA underwent regular maintenance at drydock, which included painting the boom of the crane, crane house, and A-Frame along with normal inspections as required by American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and the U.S. Coast Guard,” says Port Engineer David Lubiszewski. “The bigger tasks this time were changing and repairing the structure of the counterweights and lengthening the walking spuds.”
Considered critical repairs for the VALHALLA, Lind Marine Project Manager Brad Ellis collaborated with David to assemble a plan to fix the compromised structure. “I worked with David and Manson’s in-house engineers to fast-track the welding phase of the counterweight structure,” Brad explains. Despite the design challenges and short delivery window, the shipyard crew completed the counterweight structure in two weeks.
It’s always a pleasure for Lind Marine to work with Manson because of the effective communication and strategic planning that goes into the work orders,” Brad says. “David and the VALHALLA crew were both accommodating and easy to work with regarding logistics, operations, and seeing the tasks through.”
Setting Sail for Oahu
Manson’s scope of work on the P-209 project includes clamshell dredging with the help of the VALHALLA, the PETER M, and dump scows NORTHPORT and EASTPORT, with the latter requiring an international permit to go to Honolulu. “The EASTPORT’s load line needed to comply with the standards and regulations of the ABS,” says Equipment Manager Daric Latham. “David collaborated with Equipment Engineering Manager Nick Maddox and Equipment Engineer Jason Morris to fast-track international travel permits for the upcoming dredge job in Honolulu.”
Once certification and maintenance were complete, the tugboat AMERICAN CHALLENGER— owned and operated by American Marine Corporation—towed the VALHALLA and EASTPORT to Hawaii.
The P-209 project team and crews are wellequipped with what they need to make sure they hit the ground running when they begin work in Honolulu, according to David. “The VALHALLA hauled the necessary equipment needed for the job, including chisels, steel curtains, and four different types of clamshell buckets for dredging, David explains. “The EASTPORT towed plenty of tires and other equipment crucial to the project. Crews have what they need to get started.”
The tugboat PETER M followed the VALHALLA crew, towing the dump scow NORTHPORT out of Long Beach, CA, so it can be used to support vessels during clamshell dredging operations. A
