Dongara Marine
New Harbour Service Vessel Goes Above the Line
The YANMAR-powered lines boat Jetwave Nelson Point raises the bar for operational efficiency and flexibility
All of the qualities often ascribed to busy, dedicated harbour workers – adaptable, strong, efficient, quick to respond – are also the same prerequisites which should apply to the engines that power the work vessels they operate. Selecting the right propulsion solution for the craft best suited to the tasks in hand is an informed and considered process, wherein the customers’ specific requirements and the constructive insights of experienced designers and boatbuilders all assume an equivalent importance.
YANMAR’s reputation for quality, durability, cost-effectiveness, technological advancement and customer support is a matter of record. It is understandable, therefore, that the high-performance, straight-six, YANMAR 6LY2A-UTP diesel engines should have been selected to form the heart of a new lines boat which is undertaking a variety of harbour service duties in Port Hedland, Western Australia.
Company Profile
With decades of experience in vessel construction, maintenance, and operation our highly skilled team of boatbuilders provides the in-house capability, expertise, and customer-focussed approach that ensure all our projects meet the quality and performance standards specified by seasoned owners and operators of commercial fishing vessels, pilot and patrol boats, harbour craft and other vessels working in demanding conditions.
Whether your vessel is large or small; aluminium, fibreglass, or timber; for commercial, government, or recreational use; we are ready, willing, and able to work with you to develop the best solution for your operational and financial requirements. It’s what we have been doing for decades.
Modified for Harbour Operations
Custom-designed by Southerly Designs, Jetwave Nelson Point has been built by Dongara Marine for its client Jetwave Marine, which specialises in the provision of port and offshore utility vessels and ocean logistic services to oil, gas and resource industries throughout Australia. The aluminium work boat is the second of its kind to have been built by Dongara Marine for operation in the waters of Port Hedland, and is largely identical to its predecessor, Jetwave Stanley Point. However, while the first lines boat generally works in the inner harbour, Jetwave Nelson Point features modifications to its bow and forward sections which will allow it to work beyond the port in potentially trickier sea conditions.
The port operations which the boat and its crew will tackle are many and varied. In addition to the running of head, breast and spring lines for the secure mooring of ships, obligations to fulfil will include multi-cat anchor handling, carrying out cargo and hot-shot runs to transport time-sensitive merchandise, supporting professional diving projects, assisting tugs and making regular maintenance sorties to navigational aids such as buoys and day beacons.
Moreover, Jetwave Marine will be deploying Jetwave Nelson Point to transfer personnel and vessel crews, so Dongara Marine has built and equipped the boat to AMSA NSCV 2D survey standards, enabling it to carry up to six passengers and two crew members. Personnel safety is reinforced with the presence of a protective cage and mesh guard, while heavy-duty bow fendering and a towing post rated to 2.5 tonnes attest to the often exertive working circumstances with which the vessel will be expected to cope.
Premium Propulsion Package
Jetwave Nelson Point’s all-important propulsion package teams YANMAR’s 272kW 6LY2A-UTP diesel inboard, delivering 370mhp at 3,300rpm, with a HamiltonJet HJ322 waterjet. This combination provides the 9.8m LOA, shallow-draught (0.45m) boat with a verified minimum 1.2 tonnes bollard pull, as well as powering it to a 20-knot cruising speed and a maximum loaded speed of 29 knots. Fuel consumption is less than three litres per nautical mile, and the boat has a 600-litre fuel tank.
Supplied by YANMAR’s Australia distributor Power Equipment, the engine’s narrow-profile, flat-topped, straight-six configuration makes it an appropriate space-saving choice given the vessel’s slender 3.2m beam. Additional space, weight and energy savings stem from the fact that diesel engines require smaller fuel tanks than their petrol counterparts; while the direct-injection system, with its ultra-high-pressure fine-mist injectors, generates impressive fuel efficiency and a similarly notable power-to-weight ratio. Ally this to the fact that diesel units are inherently safer than petrol engines, and the credit column entries quickly stack up.
“We felt that there were many conclusive arguments for making a YANMAR 6LY2A-UTP diesel a key component of the line boat’s propulsion solution,” confirms Rohan Warr, Managing Director, Dongara Marine. “Quite apart from the speed, economy, endurance and safety aspects, there’s also the consideration that only a well-established company with YANMAR’s reach and influence can provide an appropriately extensive backup infrastructure, with a readily-contactable 24/7 support network and global parts availability.
“All of this adds up to make it the most sensible option for the needs of Jetwave Marine. On top of that, our clients will surely appreciate the fact that YANMAR have even thought about simplifying maintenance by making all of the service points easily accessible, high up on the engine.”
Mick Warren, Operations Manager, Jetwave Marine, said that the high speed 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. 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.”
A New Benchmark
Jetwave Nelson Point represents a new benchmark in Dongara Marine’s growing ledger of customised harbour services craft, following on from an intensive five-year period which saw the company also producing a Bulldog Class work boat, three Berkeley Class pilot boats and, of course, Jetwave Nelson Point’s sister vessel. Setting a high standard is more than mere corporate pride: there is also the underlying consideration that the new boat has been delivered to a customer with an unblemished record for health and safety, and environmental compliance, so Dongara Marine has quietly assimilated the tacit understanding that every single aspect of the boat’s design, construction and fit-out has to be beyond reproach.
Rewardingly, the client feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. “The performance of Jetwave Nelson Point is absolutely sensational,” enthuses Mick Warren. “It handles beautifully, and 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.”
"The performance of Jetwave Nelson Point is absolutely sensational. It handles beautifully, and we are very impressed."
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