Dredge McFarland Captain Mitch Tillyard points to a survey of shoaled areas in the shipping channel that the vessel must clear. The McFarland, one of four ocean-going hopper dredges owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, conducted urgent dredging in Morehead City, N.C. in March and April of 2018. The McFarland is based out of the USACE Philadelphia District.