Counterweight backhoe dredger

A vessel comprising an excavator for dredging or shifting soil for cleaning watercourses, the excavator comprising;

• a one-piece weight balanced boom hingeably supported around a boom hinge axis and extending along a boom longitudinal axis from a first end to a second end, wherein the boom hinge axis is positioned between the first end and the second end to form a boom outboard section from the boom hinge axis to the first end and a boom inboard section from the boom hinge axis to the second end,
• a bucket-arm hingeably connected to the boom at the first end, and provided with a bucket and/or digging tool at a free end of the bucket-arm,
• wherein a counterweight is directly connected to the boom at the second end in line with the boom longitudinal axis, and wherein the counterweight is positioned with respect to the boom such that a centre of gravity of the counterweight is above and about vertically aligned with the boom hinge axis when the bucket and/or digging tool is at a lowest digging position, the vessel further comprising a hydraulic drive system having a boom cylinder coupled with the boom inboard section to drive the boom, and wherein the boom cylinder is hingeably supported above the boom hinge axis,
• wherein the boom hinge axis is offset over a spacing with respect to the boom longitudinal axis.