Working in conjunction with personnel from Fendercare Naval Solutions, Orwell Offshore’s Naval Architects have produced a concept design for the transportation of concrete wave breaker blocks. The vessel is intended for service in Plymouth Sound, lifting the blocks from the casting location at Oreston and transporting them under tow to the seaward side of the breakwater at the entrance to the Sound.

The vessel is designed to replace an existing one which is approximately 50 years old. This vessel is no longer in use owing to its failing a Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) survey on the grounds of poor structural repairs, corrosion and fatigue.

The development of the concept design tried, wherever possible, to incorporate successful aspects of the existing design, whilst offering improvements to those areas which had proven less satisfactory. The design of the barge concept kept the overall dimensions close to those of the existing barge. This was to ensure that the new design could be operated in broadly the same way as the existing one.