UKD BLUEFIN

UKD BLUEFIN (IMO: 9143427) is a Dredging vessel sailing under the UK flag. It has an overall length of 322 feets and a beam of 56 feets.

UKD Bluefin

Vessel Identification

• MMSI: 232002803
• IMO Number: 9143427
• Call Sign: MWZL7
• Flag State: United Kingdom
• Vessel Type: Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger (TSHD)
• AIS Type: Dredger

Specification

• Gross Tonnage: 3,832 GT
• Deadweight: 3,200 DWT
• Length Overall: 87.3 m
• Beam: 18.4 m
• Draft: 5.5 m
• Year Built: 1997
• Hopper Capacity: 2,500 m³

Propulsion

• Propulsion Type: Diesel-electric / Conventional diesel
• Propellers: Twin screw
• Bow Thruster: Fitted

Shipyard

• Builder: IHC Holland
• Country of Build: Netherlands
• Year of Delivery: 1997

Owner / Operator

• Owner: United Kingdom Dredging (UKD)
• Operator: UKD (a joint venture company operated by Van Oord and DEME)
• Management: UKD, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

Navigation / Communications Equipment

• AIS: Class A Transponder fitted
• GMDSS: Fitted in accordance with SOLAS requirements for vessel class
• Radar: Fitted
• GPS Navigation: Fitted
• DGPS: Fitted for precision dredging positioning

Operating Region

• Primary Region: United Kingdom coastal and estuarial waters
• Typical Areas: East Coast UK, Humber Estuary, Thames Estuary, Tees Estuary, and associated port approaches
• Port of Registry: United Kingdom

Vessel Description

UKD Bluefin is a trailing suction hopper dredger built in 1997 by IHC Holland and operated by United Kingdom Dredging (UKD), a specialist dredging company formed as a joint venture between Van Oord and DEME. The vessel is designed and employed primarily for the maintenance dredging of UK port approaches, navigational channels, and estuarial waterways. As a trailing suction hopper dredger, the vessel uses suction pipes dragged along the seabed while underway to collect sediment, which is then stored in its onboard hopper for transportation and disposal or beneficial reuse. UKD Bluefin is a well-established asset within the UK coastal dredging fleet and plays a key role in maintaining safe navigable depths at major UK ports and estuaries.