Leading operator returns to Dongara Marine for a second custom work boat
The success of the first lines boat / utility vessel Dongara Marine built for Jetwave Marine led the Western Australian marine services provider to acquire a second, which it describes as “absolutely sensational”.
Jetwave Nelson Point is the latest addition to Jetwave Marine’s owned and operated fleet, which includes nearly 30 specialised commercial vessels including harbour tugs, barges, multi-cats, utility / crew boats, and port service craft. These cater to the requirements of clients in the oil and gas, and resource industries Australia-wide.
Designed by Southerly Designs, the 9.8 metre aluminium work boat can perform a variety of harbour services tasks including line handling, crew/personnel transfer, and survey operations. Completed in late May it went straight to work upon arrival in Port Hedland.
For the primary lines boat task, Dongara Marine has fitted the vessel with a towing crucifix rated to 2.5 tonnes. The two crew sit in a covered protective cage forward of this, with a mesh guard aft shielding against potential lines snap back. The attention paid to minimising the chance of lines getting caught is reflected across the boat in details such as bollards recessed within the bulwarks.
To facilitate crew/personnel transfer operations, fold-down seats for six passengers are integrated into the bulwarks. In addition to handling lines, the flush aft deck with open transom enables carriage of 2.2 tonnes of deck cargo.
As with the previous vessel the propulsion package consists of a single 272kW Yanmar diesel, Twin Disc gearbox, and a HamiltonJet waterjet. A key reason for selecting the HJ322 waterjet was its combination of towing power, cavitation resistance, and high-speed performance.
This was borne out during trials, which confirmed 1.2 tonnes of bollard pull as well as loaded speeds of 29 knots at full power and 26 knots at 85 per cent MCR. Fuel consumption is less than three litres per nautical mile, and the boat has a 600 litre fuel tank.
While high speed is unusual for a lines boat, Jetwave Marine’s Operations Manager, Mick Warren, notes it is an added benefit that also has operational advantages.
“We don’t often use the speed, because mostly we are handling lines. For us, the advantages of using waterjet propulsion in that role are the enhanced manoeuvring, directional thrust, and avoiding having an exposed propeller with consequent entanglement risks,” he said.
“The speed is really a bonus, and it’s certainly good to have when we need to move between jobs quickly, and when transferring personnel.”
To help optimise machinery operating conditions in Port Hedland’s often extreme temperatures, Jetwave Nelson Point is fitted with a full engine room ventilation system provided by Marine Air Flow. This includes outlet mist eliminator grilles, intake single stage separator grilles, DC compact fans and stainless steel air dampers.
Jetwave Marine ordered the vessel in October 2019, five months after taking delivery of its first newbuild from the Western Australian boatbuilder. That boat, Jetwave Stanley Point, has been successfully working as a lines boat / personnel transfer vessel in Port Hedland since May 2019.
“With Jetwave Stanley Point we certainly wanted something a little bit different, and Dongara Marine delivered exactly what we asked for.
“It has proved to work really well in service, and we are really happy with it. In fact one of our skippers says it’s one of the best boats he has ever driven.
Mick Warren – Operations Manager, Jetwave Marine
“Even before its delivery we had been really impressed with Dongara Marine’s workmanship and ‘can do’ attitude. That led us to contract them to undertake refit and maintenance on a number of our larger utility / crew boats, which they also did a great job on," Mick Warren said.
“So when it came time to continue our investment in new vessels to service our clients in Port Hedland we had absolutely no hesitation in placing the order with Dongara Marine.
Mick Warren – Operations Manager, Jetwave Marine
“We have a really good working relationship with them. Rohan Warr is very professional to deal with, and dealing direct with him is great because in addition to being the Managing Director he’s also a shareholder and shipwright.
“That means when we talk about something we can quickly reach a workable agreement, and I can absolutely rely on him to make it happen, and make it happen right.”
While very satisfied with Jetwave Stanley Point, the latest project provided the opportunity to make some adjustments based on construction and operational experience.
“Whenever you buy another boat you look for improvements, and I know that Rohan takes the same approach as a boatbuilder,” Mick Warren noted.
One change is to the fendering arrangement. “We’ve got a bit less on the bow of this vessel, and we’ve added some on the sides, just to reduce wear and tear on the paintwork and aluminium structure,” he explained.
The new lines boat also has more traditional bow and finer forward sections than its predecessor.
“For the first boat we requested the fuller bow shape, and Southerly Designs and Dongara Marine were happy to accommodate that. For this boat we have gone for the more typical Southerly bow shape, one that I am familiar with having grown up in the Mid West,” Mick Warren said.
He confirmed Jetwave Marine’s delight with the vessel.
“The performance of Jetwave Nelson Point is absolutely sensational. It handles beautifully. We are very impressed.
“The quality of the workmanship is also excellent, as it always is with Dongara Marine. There’s no cutting corners with them, and the pride they take in their work really shows through.
Mick Warren – Operations Manager, Jetwave Marine
Rohan Warr notes that the more traditional bow makes for a more versatile platform.
“As Jetwave Marine’s experience has shown, either bow shape will work well in the conditions typically experienced in Port Hedland’s inner harbour. The advantage of the finer bow entry is that it provides flexibility to work in harsher sea conditions, and we certainly demonstrated its ability in waves during trials off the coast,” he said.
“That may prove beneficial for Jetwave Marine in the future in terms of use in other ports or roles. It also makes it a great basis platform for a wide range of coastal work boat applications including aquaculture support, as a small passenger boat, for commercial or recreational fishing, in security roles, or even as a fun recreational craft,” he said.
Dongara Marine’s Managing Director is highly appreciative of Jetwave Marine’s approach and support as a repeat customer.
“The Jetwave Marine team are both knowledgeable and really thoughtful in their approach. We have really good, open, two-way communication at all levels and on all subjects. To me listening and being responsive to each company’s perspectives has been fundamental in driving overall value in our projects to date,” Warr said.
“Jetwave Marine has demonstrated its commitment to growing capability in the Australian ports and service vessel sector, and as local company we feel both proud and fortunate they have entrusted us to be part of that,” he added.
This project has also further cemented Dongara Marine’s credentials as a supplier of high quality, customised port and harbour services vessels. In the past five years the company has also supplied three Berkeley Class Pilot Boats – Berkeley, AMG Winyama, and Genesis – as well as Jetwave Stanley Point and Pilbara Port Authority’s Bulldog Class work boat.
For Specifications and additional photos of this and other vessels visit our Projects page here.
