Cutter suction dredger conversion

The TAURUS II is one of the self-propelled cutter suction dredgers (TSD) of Royal Boskalis Westminster. In 2010 the vessel was the subject of a modification at the Keppel Tuas Shipyard. On behalf of the owners, Vuyk executed the main part of the concept, basic and detailed engineering of the upgrading of this cutter dredger.

To increase the deadweight and range of the dredger the width was increased by 5 meters. This was achieved by adding a sponson on both sides, accommodating additional tank capacity. Before the vessel arrived at the yard the sponsons were prefabricated to decrease the downtime.

In the meantime, several other modifications were executed such as fitting frequency controlled gland and flushing pumps, a new cutter platform and a new fuel oil overflow system. Due to the increased deck area the main deck was rearranged at several points.

The tight time schedule for the entire 'makeover' of 10 weeks was a real challenge.