Standard: IHC Beagle®

More than 150 years ago, Charles Darwin joined the expedition aboard the HMS Beagle. His five-year voyage took him all around the world and this enabled him to lay the scientific foundations for his most famous work on the origin of species. This new way of thinking deeply influenced the way the human race thought about its origins. While Darwin was the first to comprehensively conceive evolution as the way species develop, IHC Merwede’s own IHC Beagle^® is evolutionary in its own right.

Modular concept

Over a century of dredging evolution and experience preceded the conception of the IHC Beagle^® – a range of standard trailing suction hopper dredgers. This may be evidenced by the aesthetic design and proven technology, which makes this a typical high-quality IHC Merwede vessel.

The IHC Beagle^® consists of a modular design, so it is possible to tailor each vessel to fit the specific dredging job in hand, while retaining its standard features. The basic version is ideal for general dredging projects, such as port maintenance, and can be ordered in 2,000, 4,000 and 8,000m³ variants. An IHC Beagle^® fitted with all available option packages is perfect for a broader range of dredging activities: capital dredging; shore pumping; and rainbowing under the most challenging of conditions.

Operational excellence

Just as the HMS Beagle was designed to be sailed around the world, the IHC Beagle^® has been developed for operational excellence on a global basis. This versatile trailing suction hopper dredger can operate practically and efficiently anywhere on the planet.

The layout of the bridge has been optimised thanks to a new control desk concept. The new Intuitive Hopper Control Chair provides an excellent view of the hopper and dredge pipes as well as an easy-to-use touch screen with all of the relevant data and controls. The improved navigation control desk also allows a clear view of the ship’s bow and improves the ease of operation.This is not only more comfortable for the crew, but also improves the dredger’s safety and productivity.

Life-cycle support

High productivity can be achieved through the design and quality of components, as well as maintenance and training. The IHC Beagle^® series is supported by a full range of services that help to ensure the successful operation of the dredger. This is known as IHC Merwede’s life-cycle support, which goes much further than just spare parts and maintenance assistance.

Every IHC Beagle^® comes with start-up training for operators and engineers. Overall, IHC Merwede will do everything in its power to assist customers in reaching the vessel’s full potential. The IHC Beagle^® can be tailored with optional packages to meet all requirements. This makes it a highly versatile dredging vessel and the next stage of dredging evolution.