417 April 2007

Sand Boats for the New China

A loaded sand boat on the Jo Rong River in Fujian Province of China.

In the lower reaches of many Chinese rivers the low profiles of sand boats, dredging and delivering countless thousand of cubic meters of sand, are as ubiquitous as taxis in New York City. The low-slung craft, with a long conveyor-belt extending out from the bow, are essential to the building of the new China. The sand is used to reclaim land as well as for construction material.

At Long Hai, a short distance from the city of Xiamen on the southern Fujian coast of China, there are about 20 shipyards most of which are building both sand transport boats and sand pumping boats. Often built in pairs with equal dimensions and carrying capacities, the boats will work together with one vessel pumping sand from the river bottom for both.

This and succeeding photos: Sand boats building at the Zhini Shipyard in Long Hai port near Xiamen Fujian Province China.

The Zhini Shipyard on the port’s Jo Rong River is typical of these small yards. With three vessels building, the yard is itself built on sand that was brought by such vessels. Immediately behind the yard, mixed vegetables are being harvested from the rich soil. All three of the 58 by 11.8-meter boats can carry sand but only one is being fitted with a suction pump as well. Each pumper-boat will have five Cummins NT855 diesel engines. Two engines will provide suction power while two others will provide propulsion power. The fifth will power the sand conveyor. This last will drive through a Shengli Speed Reducer with an 8.25:1 reduction ratio.

Near by at the Fujion New Shenghai Shipbuilding Company a 136-meter 590 TEU container ship towers over a pair of sand boats being built on leased space in the large modern yard. The 61 by 12 meter vessels have two Cummins NT855 engines for propulsion and one for suction power. A smaller Shanghai diesel powers a 90 kW generator. Each boat is capable of transporting 1300 cubic meters of sand.
Engines building for both yards were supplied by through the authorized Cummins Dealer for Fujian, the Fuzhou Ming Yang Machinery Electrical Company Ltd.

For more information:

Philip Wang
Engineer Manager in Sales
Fuzhou Ming Yang Machinery Electrical Co.Ltd.
101 Building 5,
Sunny Flower City
Luoxing West Road
Mawei Port
Fuzhou, China
Phone: +86 591 8342 9080
Fax: + 86 5918342 2872
Mobile: 136060 59530 (Xiamen)
E-mail: philipwzh@vip.sina.com
Web: www.myship.com.cn

Linda Zhang
Marketing Manager
Cummins China
Guangzhou, China
Phone: +86 13600040695
E-mail: zhang.sujuan@Cummins.com

All photos by Alan Haig-Brown.

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