Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc (ESG) is pleased to announce The Dutra Group has issued a Notice to Proceed for the new-build construction of a 10,464 cubic yard Trailing Suction Hopper Dredge, the “Adele”, to be constructed at ESG’s Allanton and Port St. Joe facilities. Delivery is scheduled for late 2028. The “Adele” will join The Dutra Group’s 9,870 cubic yard Trailing Suction Hopper Dredge “Stuyvesant” serving our nation’s essential waterways.
The Adele will join The Dutra Group’s fleet, which includes the 9,870 cubic yard Trailing Suction Hopper Dredge “Stuyvesant”, to support the maintenance and development of the nation’s essential waterways. This project underscores ESG’s expertise in building advanced dredging vessels and its commitment to supporting critical infrastructure projects.
“We are proud to partner with the Dutra Group on this exciting new project that will substantially enhance their operations,” said Joey D’Isernia, CEO of Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. “As the most experienced builder of dredges in the U.S., including the highly anticipated MCHD for the U.S. Army Corps, we are confident that we will deliver an exceptional vessel that will meet Dutra’s customer’s unique needs.”
Based in San Rafael, California, The Dutra Group is a leading heavy civil marine contractor focused on strengthening our nation’s maritime infrastructure through sustainable dredging and marine construction. “This major investment continues The Dutra Group’s recapitalization efforts and focuses our resources on Dutra’s commitment to supporting America’s Jones Act fleet, our U.S. shipyards, and our nation’s maritime and economic security needs,” said Bill T. Dutra, founder and Chairman. “The “Adele” will be American-owned, American-built, American flagged, and most importantly, American crewed.”
The new vessel’s name honors Bill Dutra’s mother, Adele Coelho. She was born on December 4, 1924 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Raised on the island of Molokai, she subsequently worked as a receptionist to the US Army Corp of Engineers at Pearl Harbor where she met Bill’s father Edward, who was then a captain in the U.S. civilian dredging fleet under the Jones Act. At that time, the U.S. was at war, and it required the civilian fleet of dredges and transport equipment to ultimately retake the Pacific theater and restore our freedom. Adele’s contribution to the civilian military fleet at Pearl Harbor was her patriotic way of defending her country’s heritage. She understood the importance of family, or Ohana, and embodied the Aloha spirit of love, kindness, and respect. The “Adele” will represent her heritage and commitment to her homeland. Guided by that spirit of Aloha, the “Adele” will sail the tides and seas with strength and purpose, protecting the crew and inspiring all who serve aboard her.
This new addition to the U.S. dredging fleet also aligns with the Trump Administration’s focus on American shipbuilding and the need for the United States to control its own maritime destiny.
“This state-of-the art, technically efficient new build vessel is designed meet our nation’s maritime infrastructure needs, now and in the future, as the low-cost provider dredging services, including channel deepening, maintenance dredging, beach nourishment and coastal restoration projects,” said Harry K. Stewart, President and CEO at The Dutra Group. “America’s military and consumers depend on our ability to keep our U.S. waterways open and safe.”
The “Adele” is based on Royal IHC’s Beagle© design. The IHC Beagle® Mk2 is a twin screw trailing suction hopper dredge with a maximum hopper capacity of 10,464 yd3. The hopper has a V-shaped cross section and is provided with a single row of bottom doors, which is ideal for quick offloading of dredged material. The design also incorporates a bow connection for high efficiency material pump off to service the shoreline and wetland material placement market. The hull shape is optimized with a bulbous bow to reduce drag and improve fuel efficiency.
The accommodation deckhouse and wheelhouse are situated on the fore ship. The wheelhouse has separate consoles for navigation and dredging, each positioned such that both the helmsman and the dredge master have excellent views of their respective operations. The intuitive hopper control chair is ergonomically shaped with the control and presentation of the dredging equipment around the dredge master at close hand, providing optimal control over all dredge processes.
The dredge has one engine room in the aft of the vessel. The dredge pumps are in a separate pump room and are driven by the main diesel engines through a reduction gearbox.
The collaboration between The Dutra Group, Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc., and Royal IHC represents a blend of expertise and innovation. Eastern is experienced in building high-specification dredges in the U.S., which complements Royal IHC’s advanced design capabilities, state-of-the-art dredging equipment, automation, and environmental awareness.
