PILOT/FIREBOAT
Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding has been a go-to shipyard for generations of pilot associations looking to update their fleets with sturdy and capable launches. That reputation has apparently reached foreign shores.
Last fall, the Somerset, Mass., shipyard delivered the 52-by-15-foot Chesapeake-class pilot boat St. George to the Bermuda Department of Marine and Port Services, a longtime partner on new vessels. St. George is capable of 24 knots and replaces a steel-hulled pilot boat Gladding delivered 44 years ago that maxed out at 10 knots.
Propulsion on St. George comes from two 670-hp Caterpillar C18 engines turning five-bladed nibral propellers through ZF gears. Electrical power comes from a single 9-kW Northern Lights genset.
“With oversized fendering, thicker hull plating and conservatively rated machinery, the new launch was intentionally overbuilt to be heavier than the typical target displacement to improve seakeeping, longevity and reduce maintenance,” said Peter Duclos, co-president of the shipyard.
Ray Hunt Design developed the new launch with a high-performing deep-V hull form. The wheelhouse is slightly aft of amidship atop a flush deck. Forward-leaning front windows provide excellent visibility for pilot transfers. The vessel has a settee and head below deck in the forecastle as well as space for safety equipment.
Other components on St. George include Norsap shock-absorbing seats, twin 16,000-BTU Webasto air conditioners and a Harken TR-31 safety rail track system to help prevent pilots and crew from falling overboard.
Mobile Pilot
The Alabama Pilot Inc., which provides pilotage services in and around Mobile, Ala., welcomed the 53.5-by-17.8-foot aluminum launch Mobile Pilot from Gladding-Hearn in late 2023. Ray Hunt Design provided plans for the Chesapeake-class launch.
Mobile Pilot is the group’s second high-speed pilot boat from Gladding-Hearn following delivery of Dixey in 2017. Propulsion on the new launch comes from 671-hp Cat C18 engines driving nibral propellers through Twin Disc gears. Northern Lights supplied the 9-kW genset. Humphree interceptors with automatic trim stabilization improve the ride and performance.
Other outfitting includes six Llebroc pilot seats and robust AC units capable of cooling the launch during scorching south Alabama summers.
Chelsea
Gladding-Hearn’s output over the last year also included a comprehensive refit of Chelsea, the first of two Chesapeake-class launches the yard is updating for the Boston Pilots.
The 19-year-old Chelsea left the shipyard in spring 2024 with Volvo Penta engines that replaced Lugger engines and a new Northern Lights genset. Other new features include Dometic AC units, a Seastar Optimus steering system, Norsap pilot seats and new Furuno navigation electronics.
AquaTraction marine flooring was installed around the wheelhouse atop a half-inch acoustical underlayment. The hull was repainted, and Mascoat Delta T anti-condensation coatings were applied to wheelhouse windows and doors.
The net result of these changes is a faster, more efficient and more comfortable launch that will continue to serve pilots well in Boston Harbor.
Aldebaran
Brix Marine of Port Angeles, Wash., also delivered the 37’ pilot launch Aldebaran to a Central American customer in 2023. Naiad Design of New Zealand developed the rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB). The company describes its launches as fast, nimble and light, with excellent control at all speeds.
Propulsion on Aldebaran comes from two 300-hp Yamaha outboard engines, and Northern Lights supplied the 6-kW generator. The vessel features Shockwave seats for four passengers and a captain, Garmin navigation electronics and radios, Dometic rooftop AC unit and Zolatone coatings.
On the horizon
Snow & Company of Seattle is building two new 50-foot Camarc-designed pilot boats for the Crescent River Port Pilots Association. The vessels will be powered by Volvo Penta D13-800 engines driving HamiltonJet waterjets through Twin Disc gears. Other components include Stidd seating, FLIR thermal camera and Northern Lights generator.
***
Following the successful delivery of Cameron Pilot II in 2019, the Lake Charles Pilots ordered another Ray Hunt Design launch from Gladding-Hearn. Propulsion will come from twin Tier 4 Cummins engines, Twin Disc gears and Bruntons props, while two 25-kW Northern Lights generators supply electrical power. Other components include Humphree interceptors and Llebroc seating.
FIREBOATS
Moose Boats delivers fireboats to 2 California operators
Two Northern California firefighting agencies have new floating equipment now following deliveries from Moose Boats, which also is building a custom dive boat for the Boston Fire Department.
The late 2023 delivery to the Alameda City Fire Department is the most powerful M2-38 model fireboat ever delivered. The 38-foot aluminum catamaran is powered by two 480-hp Cummins QSBG 6.7 engines driving HamiltonJet waterjets through Twin Disc gears. The main engines drive, through a power take-off system, Darley fire pumps capable of flowing 5,000 gallons of water per minute to four TFT monitors. The speedy vessel also can hit 38 knots at full power and cruise efficiently at 30 knots.
“This build was a real challenge, and couldn’t have been accomplished without great support from our vendors,” Moose Boats General Manager Steve Dirkes said in a statement. “Robert Bowe at Cummins really helped us through the whole build, and brought Auto-Maskin, MER Equipment, and American Vulkan to the table to help get this powerful firefighting system approved by all parties.”
The vessel is equipped with Raymarine navigation electronics, Icom radios and Auto-Maskin engine displays as well as a FLIR thermal imaging camera system. It also has a lighting system for nighttime operations that consist of 13 20-inch light bars.
The other notable delivery went to the Woodbridge Fire District, which operates in the San Joaquin Delta. The fire service and will use the new M3-36 aluminum monohull fireboat to respond to calls in the Delta and its many islands.
Propulsion comes from two 300-hp Mercury outboard engines. A Volvo Penta V8 engine supplies water to a Darley pump paired with two TFT Typhoon monitors installed on the bow and cabin roof. The vessel also has enhanced rescue capabilities that include a dive platform and victim retrieval door.
Other outfitting includes a Blue Sea System electrical panel, Furuno navigation electronics and FLIR camera. Funding for the vessel, which operates from Lodi, Calif., came from county officials and federal grants.
The Moose vessel under construction for Boston Fire is a 46-foot M1 design that will be used by the department’s Special Operations Dive Team. It will replace an existing 30-foot dive boat that’s not well suited for New England winters. Propulsion on the new vessel will come from two 600-hp Cummins engines.
Silver Ships delivers response boat to Virginia department
Norfolk Fire-Rescue in Virginia took delivery early this year of an Endeavor 32 response boat designed for a wide range of potential missions that include supporting the Port of Virginia.
The 32-foot vessel has a fully enclosed pilothouse equipped with a filtration system to operate in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) environments. It is powered by two 300-hp Yamaha engines, has a 1,000-gpm off-ship firefighting setup and Raymarine navigation electronics.
Funding for the vessel came through multiple federal grant programs, including the Port Security Grant Program that paid for the navigation electronics.
Metal Shark prepares 2 deliveries to Md. agency
At press time, Metal Shark was close to delivering the first of two 50-foot aluminum monohull fireboats to the Anne Arundel County Fire Department in Maryland. The vessels were built to the 50 Defiant NXT platform.
Metal Shark has delivered fireboats to departments in Illinois, Alabama, Massachusetts, Florida, South Carolina and Virginia within the last three years, among other states.
“Metal Shark is excited to build these next-generation, high-performance fireboats for Anne Arundel County Fire Department, as they will deliver the very latest advancements in fire boat design and technology,” Metal Shark CEO Chris Allard said last year. “With these new purpose-built vessels, crews will be able to respond faster, cover more distance, and do their jobs more efficiently and safely. This is a big win for the Department and the communities it protects and serves.”
Anne Arundel County is located on the west side of Chesapeake Bay, home to the city of Annapolis and countless inlets and creeks. County fire officials said the vessels will give them better response capabilities throughout “our vast waterways in the county.”
The names for the two vessels came as part of a community process, according to Fire Chief Trish Wolford. The first name will be unveiled during a christening event in late summer 2024. •