Launching Fernão de Magalhães
On Thursday 24 June, at 18h30 the Cutter Suction dredger ‘Fernão de Magalhães’ was launched at Uljanik Brodogradiliste d.d. shipyard in Pula (Croatia).
The godmother of the ship is Ms. Marie Vyncke, daughter of Mrs. Katia De Sadeleer, niece of Jan Pieter De Nul and Dirk De Nul, directors of the company.
The ‘Fernão de Magalhães’ is the sister vessel of the ‘Zheng He’ that was launched earlier this year and the ‘Ibn Battuta’ which was delivered last month, also at the shipyard in Pula. That same day, the keel laying of the 4th and last cutter in the series of 4, the ‘Niccolò Machiavelli’ took place.
The four identical cutter suction dredgers are part of the investment program 2007-2011 and have a total installed diesel power of 23,520 kW and a cutter power of 7,000 kW. Only the 27,240 kW ‘J.F.J. De Nul’ can outclass them.
Some data
| Length o.a. | 138.5 m |
| Breadth | 26.0 m |
| Draught | 5.50 m |
| Dredging depth | 35.0 m |
| Suction pipe diameter | 900 mm |
| Discharge pipe diameter | 900 mm |
| Barge loading pipe diameter | 900 mm |
| Submerged pump power | 4,250 kW |
| Inboard pump power | 2 x 5,000 kW |
| Cutter power | 7,000 kW |
| Propulsion power | 2 x 3,500 kW |
| Total installed diesel power | 23,520 kW |
| Speed | 13 kn |
| Accommodation | 46 |
Earlier this month, the trailing suction hopper dredger ‘Charles Darwin’ was launched at the shipyard La Naval in Bilbao (Spain).