Elliott Bay Design Group Scans a Piece of History

Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) had the honor to participate in the restoration of the PARTHIA, one of Puget Sound's oldest surviving wooden tugs. Built in 1906 by James Hall, the tugboat had a long-life servicing ships that called to Washington's Capital City, Olympia. Beyond working, she is also a five-time winner of the Olympia Harbor Days vintage tugboat races - a true icon of the city's waterfront.

Unfortunately, in the summer of 2017 the tugboat sank in Hood Canal while under private ownership. Thanks to several members of the Puget Sound Maritime and Olympia's South Sound Maritime Heritage Association (SSMHA), the PARTHIA was salvaged and is now being restored to her original glory. After restoration, she will be permanently located on Olympia's waterfront as a historical maritime exhibit.

This past April, EBDG traveled to the shipyard, where the vessel is undergoing repairs, to scan the exterior of the hull as well as sections of the vessel's interior. Engineers used a FARO laser scanner to create a "point cloud" of the hull's exterior. The data is used to create a 3D surface model in Rhino and a conventional 2D lines plan drawing for the owner. These models will aid in the restoration of the PARTHIA. The scan was completed safely while abiding by the state's social distancing rules and guidelines set during the Coronavirus pandemic.

3D scanning is a valuable tool used to gather data with ultimate accuracy. Scanning a vessel is a quick process that delivers a wealth of knowledge and provides our engineers the ability to evaluate data and solve problems more precisely. The result is an effective visual communication tool that vessel owners, operators and shipyards can use to make better, more informed decisions.

We have found this to be especially helpful during the Coronavirus pandemic. One engineer can conduct a 3D scan while following social distancing guidelines. The finished product can then be shared digitally and accessed by many. This eliminates the need for an outsider to board a vessel.

EBDG is committed to incorporating advanced technology and design approaches to increase efficiency in our engineering practices.

3D scanning services can support:

• Exterior hull scanning
• Interior layout
• Piping systems modifications
• Structural modifications
• As-Built drawing development
• Hull model development
• Vessel stability documentation
• Vessel repowers
• Ballast water treatment installations
• Equipment removal and replacement interferences
• Lines plan
• Walk-through capability