Cod Fish I – SOLD!
The original dredge that the County purchased in 1991 was recently sold via the online auction site Municibid for $180,000.
A little background….the Cod Fish I served the County for 25 years completing many dredge projects throughout the Cape, removing an estimated 2,000,000 cubic yards of material from the navigation channels on the Cape. The majority of the material dredged was used for beach nourishment purposes.
As extensive and expensive repairs were required to keep the Cod Fish I in service as a dredge, the Cod Fish I was modified (removal of the cutterhead/ladder) in 2020 and was used successfully during the last dredge season as a Booster Station for several projects (Barnstable – Dead Neck/Sampsons Island, Masphee – Popponesset Entrance Channel).
A Booster Station is by definition used to ‘boost’ the material being dredged is usually required when the pumping distance is beyond the nominal pumping distance that the dredge is capable of doing allowing for additional lengths of pipe to be used. Nominal pumping distances of the Cod Fish II is 3,500′ and the nominal pumping distance of the Sand Shifter is 6,000′ (distances vary by the material being dredged). The Booster Station is usually placed about a third of the way from the dredge.
As the investment required was determined too extensive and keeping a third dredge as a backup wasn’t within the capabilities of the department, the decision was made to declare it surplus this past winter and it was listed for sale.
The successful bidder was Gator Dredging of Clearwater, FL.
The Cod Fish I earlier in her career.
Cod Fish I alongside the barge – with the cutterhead/ladder removed
The following pictures show the Cod Fish I being removed from the water alongside the Marine Commerce Terminal in New Bedford harbor for transport to Gator Dredging’s home office in Clearwater, FL where they plan to refurbish the dredge to bring her back into service.
Alongside the pier, with the engine house and spuds removed
Hoisting begins
Hoisting continues, ready to move onto the deck
Hoisting continues, onto the deck is next
Positioning onto blocks
Separation of the three pontoons
Trailers awaiting the sections of the hull/pontoons for transport to FL
