After months of work in Florida, a state-of-the-art dredging vessel based in Wilmington returned to the region on Tuesday, Sept. 15, for an Army Corps of Engineers project to deepen Carolina Beach Inlet for recreational and commercial boaters.
The Murden, a shallow-draft dredge, is scheduled to spend three days clearing sand from the ocean bar channel between Carolina Beach and Masonboro Island. The project likely won’t last long enough to restore the waterway to its charted depth of 8 to 10 feet in all places, but three days of nearly uninterrupted dredging should improve boater access through the inlet.
“We try to give them the best we can for the time we’re here,” said Barry Stull, a mate on the Murden.
Project funding is split between the state and New Hanover County.
That includes two crews that will man the ship day and night, running it nearly around the clock.
“The dredge is designed to work 365 days a year,” said John Nichols, the Murden’s first mate. “Unless it’s broken, we’re running.”
After collecting a full load of more than 500 tons of sand from the inlet, the Murden carries it south to an area about 200 yards off Carolina Beach, where it drops the sand into the water. The additional sand is dumped close to erosion points to help renourish beaches. Sometimes, the sand is used to build underwater erosion control structures that help prevent waves from crashing onshore.
The Murden, one of the most advanced dredging vessels in the Corps fleet, is 163 feet long and can weigh as much as 1,000 tons when fully loaded. Because the ship is designed to take on water and therefore settle lower, the crew focuses closely on the engines located in the stern, which can hit the bottom and get stuck in heavy swells.
Changes in ocean depths can force the Murden to change course if needed. For example, to dredge Carolina Beach Inlet during low tide, the vessel must head north through the Intracoastal Waterway to Masonboro Inlet in order to access the inlet’s mouth.
The propellers can be rotated to different positions or be raised or lowered up to three feet, depending upon how much weight the ship is carrying. Its large size and unique design can make steering the Murden through the inlet a challenge.
“There’s an art to it,” Stull said. “It’s difficult and dangerous to turn around in the channel.”
With the necessity of dredging to keep waterways operating, the Murden and its crew stay busy. The crew of as many as seven can come from all parts of the country and travel with the ship when on duty. Crew members work for eight consecutive days before getting six days off.
Although based out of the Wilmington district of the Army Corps of Engineers, the Murden hardly spends time here, making its visit this week a homecoming of sorts. The ship’s three days in Carolina Beach Inlet come after two months in St. Augustine, Fla., and two more in Daytona Beach, Fla. Its next stop will be Morehead City on Friday and from there, the Outer Banks and then Ocean City, Md.
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