SOMERSET, Mass., − April 30, 2013 – The Northeast Marine Pilots has taken delivery of a new Chesapeake-class launch from Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation. The vessel joins the pilots’ four-boat fleet, operating from Newport, Rhode Island.
With a deep-V hull designed by C. Raymond Hunt Associates, the all-aluminum pilot boat measures 53 feet overall, with a 17-foot beam and a 4.8-foot draft. The new launch features twin Caterpillar C-12 diesels, each rated at 454 Bhp at 2100 rpm. Loaded top speed is about 21 knots. The engines turn 5-blade NiBrAl propellers via Twin Disc MGX-5114A marine gears with 2:1 reverse/reduction ratios. The vessel is equipped with a 12kW Northern Lights genset.
The launch includes heated handrails and decks to prevent ice build-up in the winter and wide side decks. At the transom are throttle and steering controls, and a winch-operated, rotating davit over a recessed platform for pilot rescue operations. The heated and air-conditioned wheelhouse and forecastle is equipped with reclining Llebroc seats, bunks, galley, and an enclosed head.
More than 70 Gladding-Hearn pilot boats now operate in the United States and Central America. The builder’s association with Hunt Associates dates back to 1978, when the two firms teamed up to produce the first deep-V pilot boat hull, which cut commuting time in half and permitted boarding ships at high speeds.
For more information, contact Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation, One Riverside Dr., Somerset, MA 02726.
