Dredger No. 1 13” X 19”

A hopper dredger shown in cutaway view, loosely base on the US Army Corps of Engineers vessel Essayons. The name is also the motto of the Corps, meaning “We will try” in French.

Dredgers like this one are responsible for maintaining a navigable depth in the shipping channels of the rivers and bars of the coasts. The drag arm is lowered to the bottom where the sand and silt that build up in the channels is sucked up with a powerful centrifugal pump located about half way down the arm.

The material flows through a series of direction changes in the piping that reduce the flow and cause the silt to come out of suspension. The mixed water and silt enter the hopper hold, where the heavier sediments sink to the bottom and water flows out through an overflow.

When the hopper is full, the dredger stops operation and carries the sediment to a spoils disposal area, where it opens the hopper doors, dumping the material.

This and other types of dredgers are necessary to allow the transport of billions of dollars worth of goods to and from coastal ports each year.

You can see more of my work and books at thescow.bigcartel.com

This drawing is to be featured in the book Working Boats: Safety Salvage and Rescue by artist and author Tom Crestodina. A limited edition of 500 signed, numbered giclee prints is available for purchase.

Media: Ink and colored pencil