[QUOTE=PabloDD;152328]Hello to all gCaptain members. Writing from UNESCO’s first World Heritage site: Galápagos!
For more than 10 years we’ve been using a barge called “El Morro” (check it out here, 42m length, 300 GT) as a cargo ship to transport construction materials from Ecuadorian mainland to the Galapagos Islands. Surely, it isn’t the brightest option since barges shouldn’t operate at sea, but there are only a couple more options so this barge has been really helpful over time considering all things over here are brought from mainland. So, Government may overhaul it to keep it doing maritime transportation for another 10 years, max.
We were quoted by a public-owned shipyard for about US$ 4 million to basically re-build the whole thing. Authorities in Government think that’s too much (for an old ship that carries construction materials), and that a double bottom isn’t necessary since it isn’t a tanker (??). I think we can buy a proper ship with that money and save many people a lot a trouble.
Hipothetically, would you agree to spend on this barge given the needs?
What are the risks and implications?
What protocols, conventions, standards or laws require double hulls for this sort of transportation?
Any comments are greatly appreciated.[/QUOTE]
I suggest that you contact Coastal Transportation in Seattle, Washington USA. I understand that they are selling, or have sold, some of their older ships that are still in good condition.
You could build a new barge of that size for much less than $4 million.