Manson Construction’s Frederick Paup hopper dredger is the largest self-propelled hopper dredge ever built in the United States
With a hopper capacity of 15,150 cubic yards, the vessel was built by Seatrium AmFELS in Brownsville, Texas, and delivered to Manson in January 2026. Measuring 420 feet by 81 feet, it is powered by three Wabtec 16V250MDC main engines providing approximately 25,000 hp and meets EPA Tier 4 standards. The Frederick Paup surpasses Manson’s previous dredgers Ellis Island and Glenn Edwards in hopper volume, and it departed Brownsville on January 27, 2026, for Mobile, Alabama, to perform maintenance dredging for the US Army Corps of Engineers, with additional work in beach nourishment and coastal restoration. The vessel was ordered in 2020 with an original 2023 delivery but faced a three-year delay; it represents Seatrium’s last delivery from the Brownsville yard, which was sold to Karpowership in September 2025, and was formally christened in New Orleans on March 21, 2026.