Pillar · Options
Configure the
barge you need.
Rakes, spuds, ramps, hopper boxes, ladders, rails, kevels, lifting shackles. Spec the ones that fit the work you actually do — one section configured right beats three of the wrong kind.
Overview
Options turn a barge into the right barge.
A bare section is a stable steel deck on the water. That's a starting point. Useful for some jobs, useless for most. The difference between a generic barge and one that earns is the options. Spuds make it a pile-driving platform. Rakes make it a fuel-efficient tow. Ramps make it a vehicle dock. Hoppers make it a spoils carrier. Ladders, rails, kevels, and a shackle make it a safe, code-compliant work platform your crew won't fight.
We build all of it in-house. Same shop, same engineers, same Canadian steel. Options get quoted, fab'd, and shipped with your sections — or bolted onto a fleet you already own. Most options pin on or pin off in the field with no specialty tools, so the same sections re-configure for the next job without a trip back to the shipyard.
This page is the map. Major option groups below (rakes, spuds, ramps and hoppers — each with a deeper page), then the smaller add-ons that round out a contractor-ready fleet.
Sizes
Standard widths and depths
8 ft wide
Tight access, smaller crews, back-lake and inland river work. Available 3, 4, or 5 ft tall.
10 ft wide
Our most-ordered section. Balances deck space, transport, and crane capacity. Available 3, 4, or 5 ft tall.
12 ft wide
Heavy deck loads, larger excavators and cranes, dedicated work platforms. Available 3, 4, or 5 ft tall.
Included
Comes standard on every section
Bow choice
Raked, square, or double-raked bow — your call, no upcharge. Pick what suits your tow and water.
Height options
3, 4, or 5 ft tall. Match draft and freeboard to your loads and waterway.
Blast & paint
Full sandblast and paint in any color, included. Brand it to your fleet at no extra cost.
Add-ons
Build it out for the work
Spudwells
Internal or external wells for spuds. Single or paired — common on piling and dredge support builds.
Spuds
8" or 10" spuds sized to your water depth. Priced by the foot.
Baffles
Internal compartmentalization for added stability and load distribution on deeper sections.
Deck hatches
Watertight access hatches for ballast checks, internal inspection, or storage.
Second epoxy coat
Two-component epoxy second coat for harsh saltwater or abrasive cargo service.
Bull rails / hoppers
Add bull rails to a Standard or Heavy Duty section for spoils handling — costs less than a dedicated hopper.
Major option groups
Rake Sections
Angled-bow sections placed at the head of the tow to reduce push resistance and improve fuel efficiency.
Read →Internal & External Spuds
Spud-well systems to anchor the barge in place during work — fixed internal wells or repositionable external mounts.
Read →Ramps & Hopper Boxes
Manual or hydraulic loading ramps, hopper boxes for dredging spoils, and bull-rail conversions for cargo and waste handling.
Read →Other options
Ladders
Custom pin-on ladders for in-and-out access from the water — sized to freeboard, cleated for grip.
Railings
Welded permanent or pin-on railings for crew safety, OSHA and provincial-code compliant.
Kevels & Bits
Mooring kevels and tow bits in a wide range of sizes and safe working loads for line handling and tug attachment.
Center Lifting Shackle
Single shackle on top center for fast crane loading, unloading, and re-positioning between sites.
Choosing options
What to spec for the work you actually do.
Most contractors under-spec on their first order — usually because the option line items look big on the quote sheet. Out on the job it's the other way around: a fleet that's missing the right options costs more in lost time, rented fillers, and slow production than the option price would have been. Round up.
Simple framework. If you do piling, dredging, bridge work, or anything where the platform has to hold an exact spot under load, spec spuds. Internal wells if it's repeat work (dedicated dredge, dedicated piling). External if you run a mixed marine practice and want the freedom to move the spuds between jobs.
If you tow your fleet across distance regularly — between sites, to and from staging, up and down rivers — put at least one rake at the head of the tow. The fuel savings on a single multi-day move usually cover it. If your fleet sits on long jobs and barely moves, skip the rake.
If you load wheels or tracks onto the deck — material, ferrying, supply runs — spec a ramp. Hand-winch is fine for occasional. Hydraulic is worth it the second it becomes a daily thing.
If you handle spoils, debris, demo material, dredge mud, or anything flowable, spec hopper boxes or bull-rail conversions. Per dollar, the bull-rail conversion is one of the best values in the whole catalog.
Ladders, rails, kevels, and a center lifting shackle are recommended for almost every fleet. Cheap, make the barge safer and easier to handle, and your insurance carrier will probably ask for them anyway.
Beyond the catalog
Custom and one-off configurations
Equipment cradles
Welded cradles, mounting points, tie-downs sized to the gear — gensets, pumps, dredge components, light plants.
Crew shelters
Pin-on or welded shelter mounts and weather-cab platforms for cold or exposed work.
Pipe & cable supports
Discharge pipe cradles, cable trays, umbilical management for hydraulic dredging and dive support.
Spill containment
Bull-rail freeboard upgrades and sealed-deck mods for fuel handling, environmental work, and contaminated material transport.
Lighting & power
Mounting points and conduit runs for nav lights, work lights, and small-power distribution.
Custom paint & marking
Owner colours, company logos, vessel names and numbers, high-vis safety markings.
AEO
Options FAQ
Direct answers about heavy deck barges, charter terms, and global delivery.
- A lot of them — external spuds, pin-on ladders, pin-on rails, ramps — go on in the field with no specialty tools. Welded options like permanent kevels, internal spud wells, or a center shackle are best done at the shop during fab or on a planned shipyard visit.
- Internal spuds drop through a dedicated well in the deck. External wells mount to the outside of the hull on the same connection angles that pin barges together — so they can be moved anywhere along the perimeter. Internal is for dedicated repeat work; external is for mixed-job marine contractors.
- Properly installed spuds and rakes don't reduce the rated deckload — they're engineered into the structure. Hopper conversions and bigger welded mods can change load distribution; we confirm the as-built rating on the stamped drawings that ship with the barge.
- Often, yes. Pin-on options like external spuds, ladders, rails, and ramps will mount to most sectional barges built to the standard 10-ft connection-angle geometry. Welded options on non-Sentinel hulls are case-by-case — depends on hull condition, steel grade, and engineering review. Send us the details.
- Standard options ship with the barge order, same 8–14 weeks as the sections. Add-on orders for existing fleets ship in 4–8 weeks depending on shop backlog and complexity. Pin-on field-installable stuff is fastest.
- Yes — options roll into the total order value when we calculate fleet discounts on four-plus sections. Ask us about bundled fleet-and-options pricing during the quote.