Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) announced last month that significant progress had been made on the 100% locally manufactured Inyosi workboat that will support TNPA’s new R889-million Ilembe trailing suction hopper dredger when dredging work starts at South African ports later this year.

TNPA dredging services head Carl Gabriel says: “The combination workboat/hydrographic survey boat is being built by Nautic Africa in Cape Town as part of the supplier development programme for the Ilembe dredger contract, which was awarded to Royal IHC in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.”

During November, local shipbuilder and maritime services provider Nautic Africa cele-brated a milestone with the relocation of the Inyosi’s hull to the company’s premises to attach the wheelhouse.

The hull was built elsewhere to avoid contamination between its steel structure and the aluminium of the wheelhouse constructed at Nautic Africa’s premises. Nautic Africa sourced the aluminium from a supplier in Pieter-maritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. The engine, which was also 100% locally manufactured, was supplied by marine diesel engine provider Caterpillar Marine Power.

TNPA has a dredging fleet replacement pro-gramme under way costing in excess of R2-billion, which forms an integral part of State-owned freight transport group Transnet’s Market Demand Strategy (MDS) that was launched in 2012. The MDS aims to allow for the effective, efficient and economic functioning of an integrated port system with the infrastructure and capacity to promote economic growth and contribute to job creation.

“Importantly, the Inyosi will be fully equipped to conduct hydrographic surveys, which usually require TNPA to transport its survey craft from port to port. The Inyosi will accompany the Ilembe dredger to other ports and will ferry stores, spares and crew to the dredger without the need for extra tugs, thus saving fuel and enabling the Ilembe to be self-sufficient. When not in use, the Inyosi will be lifted onto the Ilembe using the dredger’s crane, and housed on a purpose-built cradle,” Gabriel explains.

Sixty people have been involved in the production of the 11-m-long workboat, with 25 people working on the design and 35 on the construction of the workboat.

“Nautic Africa is extremely proud to have been chosen as the principal shipyard for this project. This is a vessel that has been designed by South Africans, built by South Africans and will be used in service for South Africans,” states Nautic Africa project manager Stuart McVitty.

Nautic Africa expects the new Inyosi workboat to be handed over to TNPA early this year.