Humble Operations - Meet Allard: Chief Engineer and Operator
Meet Allard, Allard is the Chief Engineer aboard the General MacArthur, a 24,000 HP - 32" Cutter-head Suction Dredge. It is the largest of its kind in North America and the Western World. I was privileged one afternoon to sit down with him to learn all about the dredge and what goes in to keeping it running. Allard hails from the Netherlands and surrounding region, an epicenter for world class maritime industry and coastal engineering. Like his father, Allard became an expert in vessel operations and keeping the enormous steel sea creatures running constantly. Unlike the steel skiff your neighbor may have rusting away in their yard, the vessels Allard maintains are as complex as the space shuttle and require constant attention to manage the massive pumps, enormous diesel engines and generators, thousands of volts of switchgear and electronics, and of course the 25 plus human souls living aboard who need food, clothing, and shelter. After sitting down with Allard for about thirty