Kisogawa

The Dutch built Japanese sand suction dredger Kisogawa according to the Dutch magazine De Ingenieur dated 17 September 1887

An extensive item paid attention to the Japanese self loading sand suction dredger Kisogawa built by the Dutch shipyard of J. en K. Smit at Kinderdijk/Krimpen a/d Lek, Netehrlands built for Japanese account to improve the river Kiso.(1) She was of the Adam VI design which was for the first used by the contractors Volker and Bos at the works off Hoek van Holland. Her dimensions were 52 x 8,3 (inside hull)-9,75 (maximum included suction pipe) x 3,05 (maximum and loaded with 200 cubic metres sand) x 3,25 (depth of hold below the gangway) metres. The sand was stored in a container with the dimensions 16 x 2,9 (in the plane)-6,3 (upper side) metres with a maximum storage capacity of 240 cubic metres if the river allowed a larger draught as 3,05 metres. By placing a transverse bulkhead of wood  was the upper length decreased to 13,85 metres and in this manner was the capacity decreased to 204 cubic metres. Fitted out with a four-bladed screw and a steam engine manufactured by the firm Diepeveen Lels&Smit supplying 276 ihp by a steam pressure of 90 British pound a square British inch. The inner diameter of the suction pipe was 51 centimetres of the centrifugal 2 metres. In the morning of 25 August was the shipyard at Kinderdijk left. With a steam pressure of 80 British pound and 188 rpm was the speed 8 later 9,6 British sea miles. Loaded with 10 tons of coals was her draught 1,12 (fore)-2,74 (aft) metres. On the measured British mile (1.852 metres) in the Scheur  was her speed more as 7,9 British miles with 87 pound pressure and 119-120 rpm. Below the Dutch small harbour Maassluis was a dredging trial executed on a depth of 7 metres resulting in 187 cubic metres in one hour and resulting in a draught of 2,77 (fore)-3 (aft) metres. The bottom which was dredges was of the more or less difficult kind.. Now loaded going back to sea was the speed 7,4-7,8 sea miles. Unloaded was a second dredging trial executed now on a depth of 7,2 metres off Hoek van Holland, Netherlands. In 54 minutes was 204 cubic metres loaded with 70-80 pound pressure and 108-120 rpm of the centrifugal resulting in a draught of 2,95 (fore)-3,02 (aft) metres. During the measured mile executed below Vlaardingen was her speed nearly 6,7 British miles. Underway to this position was her speed 8,5-10 miles. After unloading the sand returned she the same evening to Kinderdijk. The were the bottom valves in the container for dumping the sand closed coal bunkered and on 8 September she departed for Yokohama using her own steam power.

The voyage went not without problems. So published the Dutch newspaper Rotterdamsch Nieuwsblad dated 26 November 1887 an item dated Kinderdijk the 23rd that according to a telegram her captain D. Ouwehand Wz. Decided to enter Manillla forced by the bad weather conditions. See further more the link http://warshipsresearch.blogspot.nl/2011/11/japanese-dredgers-built-at-kinderdijk.html

Note
1. The same shipyard built earlier a similar sand suction dredger for Japan which however was disassembled and shipped in parts to Japan where she was assembled at the Japanese navy yard. The transport  take 90 days just like the assembling so this dredger was not earlier available after 180 days since she was delivered by the Dutch shipyard. The Kisogawa was 75 days (planned) underway but after would be after her arrival at Japan in principle to be immediately available. She was schooner rigged with two masts. Her crew consisted for the voyage out of a master, a helmsman, 2 engineers, 3 firemen, 4 sailors and a cook. The largest voyage until now made was executed by the self loading sand suction dredger Lucy also built by the same Dutch shipyard and destined for East London, South Africa.