The dredging pump can fill the hopper in a duration of just one hour. This results in the suction dredger transporting two to three times the load of many competing vessels each voyage. The Vasco da Gama’s vast hopper has a capacity 33,000m³. When the pipes are inclined at an angle of 55°, the vessel is suited to depths of around 80m but with the suction pipes inclined at an angle of 60° and extended, it is possible to increase the working depth to 125m by the use of a 5,500kW submerged dredging pump. The dredger normally works at depths of 45m to 60m. The suction pipes are raised and lowered using four gantries. The dredging itself is carried out by twin 1,400mm side suction pipes with wide drag heads.
Vasco da Gama is capable of working at depths exceeding any other dredger. For stability, the water ballast system consists of 3,500m³ tanks forward and 1,500m³ aft. The ship’s tanks can hold 3,500m³ of heavy oil and 300m³ of diesel oil. The accommodation block is located forward and topped by the wheelhouse. Its deadweight (at 13.45m draught) is 54,600dwt and 60,000dwt at 14.6m draught. It has a design draught of 13m and a dredging freeboard draught of 14.6m. It has a V-shaped aft and U-shaped fore body with bulbous bows. The Vasco da Gama has an overall length of 201m, 178m between perpendiculars and a moulded breadth of 36.2m. It will be used on large-scale land reclamation work and offshore projects such as trenching, pre-sweeping and rock dumping in deep water. It was built by Thyssen Nordsswerke (hull number 525) for the Belgian group Jan de Nul. The Vasco da Gama is one of the largest suction dredgers in the world.
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