Three Commercial Barges to Consider for Business Rental

Water vessels are critical in different commercial sectors such as transportation, construction and mining. The common projects that are performed using the vessels include general cargo haulage, setup of marine structures and loading and unloading tasks. If you are looking for an ideal vessel for such commercial operations, you should consider renting a barge. Barges are flat-bottomed vessels, and they are ideal for handling heavy and bulky items, particularly for low-value cargo. Here is a description of the primary modern commercial barges to consider renting for your business.

Dry Bulk Cargo Vessel

As suggested by the name, the dry bulk cargo barge is designed to handle dry goods. This type of cargo can consist of commodities such as coal, gravel, steel, sand, grain and similar materials. These vessels are designed with an outer hull and the internal cargo box. You can choose between two configurations when renting this type of barge: rake and box. The rake design has a curved bow in the structure, so the boat will offer low resistance in the water. The box alternative is built to handle more cargo, but it has a flat and wider design provides more resistance. If you choose this design, it is critical to request for a cover to protect the weather-sensitive goods. The covers can be made from fibreglass, steel and even polymer materials.

Liquid Cargo Barge

The liquid cargo barge is ideal if you are handling liquid materials in your project. This vessel is an appropriate choice because it can transport bulk fluids at relatively low expenses. You can rent tank or pressure barges, depending on the type of liquid that you are hauling. The former barge is suitable for transporting liquid fertiliser, diesel fuel and petrol as well as black oil commodities like asphalt and fuel oil. The pressure barges are perfect for transporting pressurised materials such as liquid petroleum gas and butadiene. You should discuss the availability of barges for both inland and offshore operations before choosing a service provider.

Hopper Barge

If you are performing a dumping project in water bodies, you should consider acquiring a hopper barge. Unlike the other types of barge vessels, this type is designed for convenient dumping in ocean and lake. Basically, this vessel is designed with doors at the bottom of the hull which are opened to release materials into the ocean. This is ideal for handling rocks, sand and even rubbish during land reclamation projects. On the other hand, you should note that this barge requires a towing vessel.