![Photo: Scafffloat](http://media.assettype.com/bairdmaritime%2Fimport%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2FRiver-Lea-photo-1-Copyright-ScaffFloat1.jpg?w=480&auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=max)
A self-propelled pontoon workboat made entirely from standard scaffold components and fitted with a crane has been used for a project on the River Thames in the UK to install ladders, chains, and wooden fendering.
For the project on the Thames, local boatbuilder Scafffloat mobilised an eight- by 6.4-metre pontoon fitted with two 44kW high-thrust outboard engines giving 0.8 tonnes of bollard pull and a service speed of five knots. Thirty of the company's small 0.5-cubic-metre patented plastic floats provided 15 cubic metres of buoyancy, giving the pontoon a comfortable five-tonne payload on the large open 50-square-metre wood deck. The deck is also fire-rated, making it suitable for hot works including cutting and welding.
A 2.8-tonne knuckle boom crane that can lift 600 kg at five metres was fitted to a custom-made steel crane base. This was designed in accordance with Lloyd's Register Code for Lifting Appliances in a Marine Environment, July 2021 (CLAME, 2021). After non-destructive testing it was then LOLER tested once fitted to the pontoon, and a full stability assessment was provided in line with relevant IMO standards.
The pontoon was also surveyed and licensed by the Port of London Authority (PLA) as a commercial vessel prior to commencing works.
Other added features include spud legs and deck winches.
The pontoon was on hire for almost two months to GPS MACS, a specialist marine contractor on the Thames. The vessel also had the benefit of a low draught of only 0.3 metres. The pontoon itself could be dried out on steep mud banks, giving the operator a much larger tidal working window compared to traditional workboats that would not have been able to ground out.
8-metre Pontoon Workboat | |
SPECIFICATIONS | |
Type of vessel: | Pontoon |
Owner: | Scafffloat, UK |
Builder: | Scafffloat, UK |
Deck construction material: | Wood |
Length overall: | 8.0 metres |
Beam: | 6.4 metres |
Main engines: | 2 x outboards, each 44 kW |
Cruising speed: | 5.0 knots |
Bollard pull: | 0.8 tonnes |
Operational area: | River Thames, UK |