MacGregor cranes and hatch covers for Samho bulker series

In February this year Samho Shipbuilding confirmed an order with Cargotec for a series of folding weatherdeck hatch covers for six 32,000 dwt bulk carriers; this follows a contract from December 2009 for 24 MacGregor cranes on the same vessels

“We are pleased that Samho Shipbuilding has also specified our hatch cover covers,” said Torbjörn Dahl, senior naval architect for bulk ships at Cargotec. “The crane and the hatch cover outfits are an integral part of the cargo access and handling ability of the vessels, and MacGregor cargo handling solution offers an efficient and reliable system for the shipowner. The order also demonstrates our ability to deliver conceptual sales that consider the whole operation of a vessel.”

The six vessels are scheduled for delivery from this year until 2011. Each of them will feature four MacGregor GLB3026 cranes, fitted with the company’s well-proven CC3000 crane control system, and five MacGregor folding weatherdeck hatch covers, comprising a total of 20 panels.

The hydraulically-operated hatch cover arrangement offers a total day opening area of approximately 2,023m2 and will weigh around 640 tonnes. The equipment is designed and manufactured in accordance with American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) regulations.

The hatch covers represents a fairly high standard comprising Flexipads, FlexSeal and a pump unit enabling operation of any two pairs at a time. The hatch covers are battened to the coaming by quick acting cleats and hatch No 3 (ballast water hold) will have heavy-duty ballast cleats.