A long-reach excavator has an extended boom and stick that let it dig well past a standard machine's reach. On water jobs that means one setup can cover a full canal section or shoreline slope without repositioning all day.
We rent long-reach excavators mounted on our spud barges and delivered by our own tugs, so the machine shows up floating, positioned, and ready to dig. Common uses are canal cleaning, shoreline work, marsh restoration, and dredge support.
Why Melancon Marine
Why people call us
The machine and the barge together
On this coast a long-reach excavator usually needs a floating platform under it. We quote the machine, the spud barge, and the tug delivery together, with no separate barge and tow for you to arrange.
Sized for bayou and marsh jobs
Extended reach matters most on narrow canals, soft banks, and marsh edges where the machine can't walk closer to the work. The barge draft is shallow, the spuds hold it steady, and the boom covers the cut from mid-channel.
These machines work our own jobs
These excavators clean canals and shape shorelines on our own jobs between rentals. The crew that runs them maintains them and preps them before your rental goes out.
Easy to scale up
If the job grows, we can add a second barge for material, a tug to rotate hopper barges, an airboat for spotters, or a crew boat for personnel.
The Scope
What this service covers
Extended reach digging
Boom and stick configured to work well beyond a standard excavator arm.
Spud barge platform
A pinned, stable deck that holds grade while the machine works.
Canal & ditch cleaning
Vegetation, spoil, and sediment pulled from channels and drainage canals.
Shoreline & bank work
Grading, shaping, and armoring along bayou and canal banks.
Marsh restoration support
Material placement and excavation on coastal restoration sites.
Material handling
Loading hopper barges and moving spoil alongside dredge operations.
How It Works
How a job goes
01
Walk the water
Channel widths, depths, spoil plans, and what the machine has to reach.
02
Get a quote
Machine, barge, and tug delivery priced together.
03
Float it in
The excavator arrives on the barge, spuds down, and starts digging.
04
Advance the cut
Our tug shifts the barge along the job as the work moves.
On the Job
Our equipment on the job
Service Area
Barge-mounted excavation across South Louisiana: Lafourche and Terrebonne Parish canals and bayous, coastal restoration sites, and ICW-connected job sites statewide.
Common Questions
Common questions
What is a long-reach excavator?
A long-reach excavator is a standard excavator fitted with an extended boom and stick. It trades some bucket size for a lot more horizontal and vertical reach, which is what lets one setup dig a full canal section or shoreline slope without constant repositioning.
How much does long-reach excavator rental cost in Louisiana?
The rate depends on the term, whether the machine goes out barge-mounted, and the tow distance to your site. Most rentals go out as a machine-plus-barge package with delivery in the same quote. Call (985) 691-4591 with the scope and we'll price it.
Can I rent the excavator on a barge?
Yes, and that's how most of ours go out. The machine loads onto one of our spud barges, our tug delivers and positions it, and the spuds hold it while the machine digs. It's the practical way to excavate where there's no land access.
What jobs use a barge-mounted long-reach excavator?
Canal and ditch cleaning, shoreline grading and protection, marsh and coastal restoration, dredge support, dock and bulkhead demolition, and material handling on the water. If the dig site is surrounded by water or soft marsh, this is usually the machine that reaches it.
Do you rent long-reach excavators with an operator?
Depends on the job. We can talk through a bare rental or supplying the machine with support. Tell us what your crew runs day to day and we'll set it up accordingly.
How does the excavator get to a site with no road access?
The machine loads on our barge and our tug tows it in. Water delivery is the point of the package for sites without road access.
Larose, Louisiana
Put the fleet to work
Call (985) 691-4591 for rates, availability, and scheduling.