Mike Hooks’ new CSD hits the water in Galveston

Mike Hooks’ new 27-inch cutter suction dredger (CSD) Lorraine Hooks was launched at Southwest Shipyard in Galveston on March 31.

Once outfitted and complete, the 300-ft. x 50-ft. Lorraine Hooks, with a dredging depth of 75 feet, will be deployed on both coastal restoration and navigation dredging projects in Louisiana and across the region to improve climate resiliency and strengthen maritime infrastructure.

The dredger is designed to meet the latest industry standards in safety, comfort, efficiency, and production, said the company.

It will house “home-away-from-home” living quarters with A60 fire rating insulation. It is constructed on vibration mounts to reduce fatigue for the crew from harmonic vibrations and noise.

Also, there will be a NOVEC fire suppression system in the engine room and control rooms.

A cutterhead platform will allow safe operations while maintenance is performed, and anchor booms will reduce human exposure to anchor handling. Operation monitoring displays and tablets will be throughout the dredger and quarters.

The Lorraine Hooks will now get a ladder gantry and anchor boom stops, a fresh coat of paint in Houston, and then return to Galveston for equipment install.

The CSD was named after the beloved matriarch and wife of founder Mike Hooks.

The steel cutting ceremony for this new cutter suction dredger took place in May 2021.

Additionally, the construction of the Lorraine marks another milestone for the Hooks organization as it is the first dredge to be built by a third-party vendor. The majority of Hooks’ existing fleet was fabricated at their own facility in Southwest Louisiana.