First testing and again assuming barge in pretty shallow Walnut Grove bend in Sac River site across the 2 lane highway would be designing that OVERBITE properly to close and hold much as you need to load into placer run. I watched GRAVEL being unloaded in Melbourn Harbor last Oct with same modus. Lifted clam out of bulk hold and swung over to pile on dockside parking lot. Front loaders dumped into stream of haulers and off to building sites around city. Crane moved hold to hold and overnight done and sailed back to quarry. Gravel IS ROCKS! Would be teeth and lips set angled at open firm against floor to bite down once and hold a load of varried material. Not banging against sea floor to bury but even that could be done. Stockton, BTW, is 30 mi S on river where giant grain ships load from central valley for world wide shipping out of Bay and site of several hundred excellent prime examples of what’s needed built in. I also observe harbor dredge in New Orleans from our windows at Harrah’s Hotel deepening cruise ship dock channel. I saw that at once as just arms being welded onto placer run box . EXACTLY same drop clam over side but load to alongside barge. NO scoop arm used ever. Do BIG MUDDY ring a bell? So what would Joey Chestnut’s record be if simply jammed face in bowl of dogs? Stuff them in and close jaws each load to the digester to hit 69!
My word, what silliness! Not sharpest drills in the tool kit as ever. To dig a hole in sea bottom you need a wall barrier the way bridge foundations are built or just fills in wash back. ENTIRE genius is NOT using a swing arm but a clam. And Paul Sr is a mechanical marvel as Jr learned to do it alongside. Dad runs MEXUS full time. That amazing construction just last of long line built right there on site Another method is drag line which scrapes back but takes a long swing arm out as well. Longer gets exceeding cumbersome to even position. Straight up and down is best process doing what’s desired, move giant amounts one spot where metal detected . Remember SeaTronic torpedeo thingee? ? Move it? SWING the bow. Speed? Depends on ability to process placer wash not load ore. Only place it goes is to the placer tables not to stockpile which IS the ocean floor and normally ALWAYS there below . One thing you CAN be assured of. When you have taken ALL the gold. Sea bottom ‘ll still be there, DAH.
The clam doesn’t just drop to fill. If any seen a bulk cargo ship unload, the giant harbor loading crane cable drop is to just above the surface. THEN the clam hydraulics close the bite in an over fill which drops back as is lifted getting as much as it can lift right to that angled chute where will open and may stay open to the sea bottom again. 5 tons,10K pounds, lift means gearing so slow and VERY accurate positioning Probably just close if hour or so wait between loads during wash. Can see how perfectly he drops to hold just above concrete. Then can open and bite . Last checked some dredges were vacuuming up sand. Gobbler bite force will take up about anything; sand , mud, rocks, gold, bottles for deposit . Mexus is the Green Corp for sea salvage , recall? Every little bit helps. 8