Huge Liveonboard superdredger

Norwaydredger

Tenderfoot
Mar 28, 2017
5
9
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hello Everyone

i am a norwegian that worked with offshore dredging for some years. Electrician and ROV pilot.
the last year i designed a vessel that would easily put 120 cubic yards of mass through the sluice.
the vessel is 98 foot long and 65 foot wide with a draft of 2,5 feet.

best of all there is no Divers so risk to personell i basically eliminated.
Living quarters with double cabins for 8 people.

all spareparts and workshop onboard. no need for a home in nome ;)
food storage for 2 months supply onboard. diesel for generators for 1-2 months onboard.

the design and size of the vessel will allow it to work in waves up to 6 feet. this will give you more days in a season for work. current and visibility does not affect the machinery subsea or the vessel.
around the clock operation. in a week i calculate with max 150 hours of "nozzle time". the rest of the week will be for maintenance.

150 hours a week * 120 cubic yards pr hour =18000cbyrds
0,02 toz pr cubic yard= 18000*0,02= 360ounzes a week.
with the weather limits of the vessel i hope to get minimum 10 weeks of operation = 3600 ounzes.
as i see christine roze and au grabber on beering sea get up to 85 days of work during a season i think i will easily pass them in digging hours/days.

the bad news:

fuel consumption average per week 6600 gallons. (450.000usd nome prices)
building price 8 million USD max.

So now my questions
do you guys think it would be worth it? is it possible to dredge on a claim in nome with this type of commercial vessel? if i buy a claim would it be easier? any suggestions for an investor to participate in this as i dont have enough funds myself.

i do think its a "go big or go home" situation in nome for the future. efficiency needs to go up alot.
the vessel dont require much maintenance once built and would easily do 10 years without any upgrades. possibly even 20. i can go to depts of 300 feet without changes to subsea dredger.
i can dig into the seabed to depths of 9 feet in one go as well.

anyone interested in participating in this?
 

russau

Gold Member
May 29, 2005
7,271
6,727
St. Louis, missouri
I'd like to see you give them people a run for their money on the Bearing Sea show! Not wasting a lot of time running back to the harbor every day would be a BIG improvement in your quest to get as much gold as possible in your time out there! Hope to see you on the show!
 

ratled

Hero Member
Feb 18, 2014
950
2,396
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Actually there are several working in AK already. You occasionally see them in the back ground off in the distance as they work deeper water than the show. IIRC Tom Massey did a show on one of these years ago. Debeers has some off the coast of Africa too doing the diamonds.

ratled
 

Last edited:
OP
OP
Norwaydredger

Norwaydredger

Tenderfoot
Mar 28, 2017
5
9
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
thanks for the tips guys.

i already had a chat with mr. Andrew and Vernon from the show.
Andrew gave me lots of issues to consider as in hisa opinion i was thinking to big vessel.
new regulations came to effect.. but i still think go big or go home.
if i construct the vessel according to and in cooperation with dnv in seattle im sure i will get it approved by dnv.

i found several leases for sale offshore in nome so that wont be a problem.

the regulations for dredges i have already skimmed through.
I worked several years in the norwegian oil industry now and i drew my vessel according to norwegian safety regulations.
i am way past the AK- regulations for gold dredges.
wich other gold dredge in alaska have:

Automatgic fire-extinguish system
Fire detection system
Liferaft
"man over board" Boat (MOB-Boat)
Dynamic positioning class 2
Survival suits for all personell and weekly Emergency drill.

ofcourse I got all the navigation lights according to regulations, horn, life buoy to throw for persons in water and stuff like that.

i am well aware that this is expencive to buy and build.
what kind of person is the most effective worker?
a guy that is not worried about his safety, but think about safety.
a guy that dont have to stress during his day.
a guy that get enough sleep and food.

i do feel i accomplish all of this on my vessel.
 

OP
OP
Norwaydredger

Norwaydredger

Tenderfoot
Mar 28, 2017
5
9
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
i also forgot to mention, in case of bad weather i dont need to go to nome harbour.
i designed the vessel so i can actually land it on any beach.

full harbour, no problem ;)
 

Golden_Crab

Sr. Member
Mar 28, 2016
253
183
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hello Everyone

i am a norwegian that worked with offshore dredging for some years. Electrician and ROV pilot.
the last year i designed a vessel that would easily put 120 cubic yards of mass through the sluice.
the vessel is 98 foot long and 65 foot wide with a draft of 2,5 feet.

best of all there is no Divers so risk to personell i basically eliminated.
Living quarters with double cabins for 8 people.

all spareparts and workshop onboard. no need for a home in nome ;)
food storage for 2 months supply onboard. diesel for generators for 1-2 months onboard.

the design and size of the vessel will allow it to work in waves up to 6 feet. this will give you more days in a season for work. current and visibility does not affect the machinery subsea or the vessel.
around the clock operation. in a week i calculate with max 150 hours of "nozzle time". the rest of the week will be for maintenance.

150 hours a week * 120 cubic yards pr hour =18000cbyrds
0,02 toz pr cubic yard= 18000*0,02= 360ounzes a week.
with the weather limits of the vessel i hope to get minimum 10 weeks of operation = 3600 ounzes.
as i see christine roze and au grabber on beering sea get up to 85 days of work during a season i think i will easily pass them in digging hours/days.

the bad news:

fuel consumption average per week 6600 gallons. (450.000usd nome prices)
building price 8 million USD max.

So now my questions
do you guys think it would be worth it? is it possible to dredge on a claim in nome with this type of commercial vessel? if i buy a claim would it be easier? any suggestions for an investor to participate in this as i dont have enough funds myself.

i do think its a "go big or go home" situation in nome for the future. efficiency needs to go up alot.
the vessel dont require much maintenance once built and would easily do 10 years without any upgrades. possibly even 20. i can go to depts of 300 feet without changes to subsea dredger.
i can dig into the seabed to depths of 9 feet in one go as well.

anyone interested in participating in this?

I imagine it'd be hard to make a profit after paying your 6 months of pro-rated insurance on an 8 mil asset lol
 

ratled

Hero Member
Feb 18, 2014
950
2,396
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
i also forgot to mention, in case of bad weather i dont need to go to nome harbour.
i designed the vessel so i can actually land it on any beach.

full harbour, no problem ;)

UUmmm having spent a year on an island on the Bering sea I can tell you if a storm kicks up and you land on the beach you aren't coming off the beach unless you use a DUK to start with. The Bering Sea is no joke

ratled
 

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Capt Nemo

Bronze Member
Apr 11, 2015
1,058
1,609
Oshkosh, WI
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
^^^True with that! Any of the Great Lakes will pound you apart if you're beached. And they're just lakes, not open ocean. Wave periods on the Lakes are shorter so you've got 3-4 pounding you at the same time. Any big rocks will push through the hull in no time.
 

OP
OP
Norwaydredger

Norwaydredger

Tenderfoot
Mar 28, 2017
5
9
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
can you explain DUK, ratled?

i had an idea about ballast tanks. i got tanks of 4x65 m2. landing on the beach with half tanks then filling them up after will add about 130 metric tonnes to the vessel and sufficient downforce to make it stay put without movement. after the weather calms i can empty the ballast tanks completely and get off again.

insurence i did not think much of yet so there i do need to make som inquieries...

regards from norway
 

OP
OP
Norwaydredger

Norwaydredger

Tenderfoot
Mar 28, 2017
5
9
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
can anyone tell me what wavehights i can expect in nome?

offshore here in norway we fight with waves up to 80 feet during offshore storms.
normal swell is 10-15 feet.

finally i am going offshore now with the big machine in my profile pic next week.
dredging for the largest oilcompany in norway at several locations in the north sea.
cant wait to get back in business after a slow stormy winter..
 

russau

Gold Member
May 29, 2005
7,271
6,727
St. Louis, missouri
HHMMMM ? I wonder if I could "borrow" your ship for a month and run her up the Missouri River to see what it has ?? I'll be nice to her and wont drink and drive!:occasion14:
 

ratled

Hero Member
Feb 18, 2014
950
2,396
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
can you explain DUK, ratled?

i had an idea about ballast tanks. i got tanks of 4x65 m2. landing on the beach with half tanks then filling them up after will add about 130 metric tonnes to the vessel and sufficient downforce to make it stay put without movement. after the weather calms i can empty the ballast tanks completely and get off again.

insurence i did not think much of yet so there i do need to make som inquieries...

regards from norway

This is a DUK
DUKW1.jpeg

This is what will happen if you try to beach in a storm. It was her maiden voyage too.
fig-1-barge.jpeg


ratled
 

wildminer

Hero Member
Dec 2, 2015
610
899
Jefferson Coast
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Seems if you are ballasted you would basically be in a fixed position and the sea would do lethal damage to the vessel whilst you are settling downward into the beach material.
 

Capt Nemo

Bronze Member
Apr 11, 2015
1,058
1,609
Oshkosh, WI
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
If you try beaching, you'll only make a $8 million dollar dive site. The working of the vessel on the beach will push rocks through the hull.

Most salties would rather be in the open ocean during a hurricane than be in the Great Lakes during a storm. The Bering Sea is much like the Lakes.
 

russau

Gold Member
May 29, 2005
7,271
6,727
St. Louis, missouri
Not to be toooooo far off topic BUT I've been wanting to go to a sand and gravel plant that uses barges to keep the Missouri and Mississippi River channels at 9 foot depth and ask to clean out their barge that hauls the sand back to the plant. I'd like to suck out what's left behind after they get all their sand out. In the Winter when the rivers are at their low point , the barge company's need to blow bedrock to keep the channel open for barge traffic. Them rivers gotta be full of gold and I want to get it SOMEHOW!
 

johnedoe

Bronze Member
Jan 15, 2012
1,489
2,239
Oregon Coast
Detector(s) used
White's V3i, White's MXT, and White's Eagle Spectrum
Cleangold sluice & prospectors pan, EZ-Gold Pan, and custom cleanup sluice.
Primary Interest:
Other
A question here....... Have you penciled this out? Because here is what I get from the numbers you give us.

0,02 toz
pr cubic yard= 18000*0,02= 360ounzes a week.

fuel consumption average per week 6600 gallons. (450.000usd nome prices)



360 oz. per week = $413,523.15 at current spot and figuring purity at 22K.......

413,523
-450,000
-136,477

So your -136,477 in the hole per week.... at least.

And you haven't even included food,
salary, insurance, payments on the equipment.


So from the numbers you have given us this just doesn't pencil out. Not to mention there will be breakdown days that stop you from working.

Now granted the gold recovery is and can be extremely variable.... so some days may be hot... some days may be a dry hole.

I have just scratched the surface of some of the costs you will incur. Or have I missed something?

Now if you use common core math everything will be just fine......
:laughing7:
 

Last edited:

ratled

Hero Member
Feb 18, 2014
950
2,396
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
A question here....... Have you penciled this out? Because here is what I get from the numbers you give us.

0,02 toz
pr cubic yard= 18000*0,02= 360ounzes a week.

fuel consumption average per week 6600 gallons. (450.000usd nome prices)



360 oz. per week = $413,523.15 at current spot and figuring purity at 22K.......

413,523
-450,000
-136,477

So your -136,477 in the hole per week.... at least.

And you haven't even included food,
salary, insurance, payments on the equipment.


So from the numbers you have given us this just doesn't pencil out. Not to mention there will be breakdown days that stop you from working.

Now granted the gold recovery is and can be extremely variable.... so some days may be hot... some days may be a dry hole.

I have just scratched the surface of some of the costs you will incur. Or have I missed something?

Now if you use common core math everything will be just fine......
:laughing7:

Perhaps the Hoffman's would be interested in it then for next season? Sounds like it is right up their alley.

ratled
 

AK_Au_Diver

Jr. Member
Nov 21, 2013
98
154
Nome, AK
Detector(s) used
My Eyes
Primary Interest:
Other
if you are serious, this is probably the guy to talk to...
Andrew C. Lee is SAFONATT | Expert Bering Sea Gold Miner: Nome, Alaska

press release from his company; has a map of Nome Claims and who holds the lease's
http://www.goldleafplacer.com/Gold_Leaf_Placer__06.16.16.pdf

Hi Norway, I'm Andrew Lee. It was good to talk with you about your Nome ideas earlier this year. I have not been on this site all summer. Where are you at in your feasibility study?

-Andrew
 

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