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Muddy Water Dredging, LP celebrated a major corporate milestone today as it christened its first dredge, the Vaneta Marie.
“ The Muddy Water Team, led by Co-Founders Michael Kerns and Matt Devall, welcomed 100+ guests from across the Gulf to celebrate a vessel that will soon be deployed on critical navigation and environmental restoration projects in the region and to thank all those who helped turn this vision into a reality ,” said the company.
Guests included family and friends, investors, industry partners, the New Orleans District Office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) of Louisiana, and the Office of Congressman Troy Carter, who presented Muddy Water Dredging with a congressional proclamation celebrating the event.
The morning began with tours of the Vaneta Marie, a custom-built, diesel-electric Marlin Class 24-inch cutter suction dredge designed and built by DSC Dredge in Louisiana and named after President & CEO Michael Kerns’ mother Vaneta Marie Nelson.
Outfitted with a total installed horsepower of 9,629hp and 6,830kW of electrical power, the dredge is equipped with a detachable carriage barge and lay-down spuds, allowing it to make wide cuts when needed and to clear low structures in transit.
The technology and equipment onboard the dredge is all state-of-the-art, with redundancies built-in throughout for safety and production, said Muddy Water Dredging.
“ With an overall length of 376 feet, the Vaneta Marie is one of the largest 24-inch cutter suction dredges in the U.S.-flag Jones Act fleet, and, having been proudly made in America, created a positive impact on jobs and the local economy ,” said Muddy Water Dredging.
Following the tours, the Vaneta Marie was officially blessed and then christened when Mike Kerns ceremoniously walked the across the ladder of the dredge and broke a bottle of champagne on its submersible pump for good fortune.