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DMS
Tug Seahorse Quenda arrives into Sydney Harbour after delivery
from Malaysia.
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The
Quenda, the southern brown bandicoot.
Photo by ABCSO Paul McCallum
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By Graham
Davis
Defence Maritime
Services (DMS) has bought or ordered ten new craft for use in
supporting the Royal Australian Navy.
The
craft, ranging from a pair of 139 tonne tugs, to water jet propelled
rigid hulled inflatable boats, are valued at more than $5.45 million.
The
purchase is part of DMS’s contract to upgrade and improve
its fleet.
Just
over four years ago the company entered into a $310m, ten year,
contract to provide harbour and fleet support.
Its
fleet of blue and beige painted vessels, many with Seahorse as
a lead-in to their name, is to be seen at RAN bases across the
nation.
The
latest editions to the DMS fleet travelled from Malaysia to their
home ports, Fleet Base East and Fleet Base West, last month.
They
were the sister tugs, Seahorse Quenda to Sydney and Seahorse Chuditch
to Stirling.
Built
in Malaysia at a cost of $1.3 million each, the tugs are 139 tonnes,
23.5 metres long and have a bollard pull of over 16 tonnes.
“Although
they are primarily tugs, they could be used by divers,” Mr
Ian Poulter, the Finance Manager for DMS, told Navy News when
he went out to meet the arriving asset.
“She
has sleeping for 15 people, can work in the open sea and has a
stern deck large enough to take a recompression chamber as well
as diving equipment,” he said.
“She
could also be used for towing targets.”
He
said Quenda is named after the Southern Brown Bandicoot.
Mr
Poulter said the tugs were just two of an exciting inventory of
new craft either supplied recently or under construction.
“Structural
Marine in Western Australia is building us two steel 15 metre
workboats of about 18 tonnes. They will have a bollard pull of
10 tonnes.
“Costing
$850,000 each they will be used in Darwin and the west for personnel
and stores transfer. The first is due fordelivery
in July.
“We
have bought a second hand landing craft, Seahorse Kultarr, for
$300,000 and it is already at work in Darwin.
“We
also purchased a second hand crayfish boat from Geraldton at a
cost of $100,000 and it is working around Stirling as a personnel
and stores transfer vessel. She’s called Dibbler.”
Mr
Poulter said a very important order had been lodged in New Zealand
for a 14 metre long high speed boat powered by a water jet.
“Costing
$450,000, the boat, called Glider will be used to service RAN
submarines and surface ships off the Fremantle coast.
“In
addition we have bought two 7.2 metre RHIBS made by Lancer and
powered by Hamilton jets. One is already in Sydney the other will
arrive soon.
“Cost
is $140,000 each.”
He
suggested they could be a replacement for the in-board-outboard
stern drive RHIBs in service with the RAN.
He
said an eight metre long aluminium general purpose workboat had
been bought for Stirling at a cost of $30,000.
