USAV Essayons was a hopper dredge of the United States Army Corps of Engineers. At the time of her construction, she was the largest hopper dredge ever built. She was the flagship of the Army Corps of Engineers dredge fleet. Her primary mission was to maintain the entrance to New York Harbor and other East Coast ports, but she was employed all around the United States and at several international locations. She was launched in 1949 and retired in 1980.