Among the noteworthy builds in the past year is Foss Maritime’s new offering for the Port of Long Beach, Calif. — a 108-foot, Robert Allan Ltd.-designed fireboat that will be one of the world’s most powerful.
Yards nationwide also kept busy with strong demand for new patrol and pilot boats, with many overseas customers finding what they need from U.S. builders.
Fireboats
Fireboat 20 from Foss is the first in a two-boat order to replace Long Beach’s Liberty and Challenger. The boat was built at Foss’ Seattle shipyard, with the aluminum superstructure constructed across the Lake Washington Ship Canal at Kvichak Marine Industries.
Propulsion is provided by two 2,012-hp Caterpillar 3512C diesel engines mated to twin Voith Schneider VSP propellers. The 5.4-foot blade length allows the fireboat to enter shallow areas of the port.
The pilot boat Astoria prepares for sea trials at Kvichak Marine in Seattle. |
Alan Haig-Brown |
The boat’s firefighting power consists of 10 monitors with the capability of delivering 41,000 gallons of water per minute. The jets can reach a height of 230 feet and a distance of 580 feet. There are four fire pumps aboard, two driven by the Cat diesel engines. In firefighting mode, 75 percent of the propulsion power is available for pumping.
Another notable delivery was from MetalCraft Marine of Kingston, Ontario, and Cape Vincent, N.Y., which sent the third of three FireStorm 70 command center/high-speed response vessels to the Port of Houston. The fireboat is powered by four Caterpillar C18 diesels mated to waterjets, giving it a top speed of about 45 knots.
Four firefighting pumps produce 13,600 gallons per minute at 150 pounds per square inch and 17,000 gpm at 130 psi. Water can stream up to 450 feet with a roof-mounted Stang monitor. As a shore hydrant, each FireStorm 70 can pump 7,000 gpm at 70 psi through 1,000 feet of hose from a 5-inch Storz outlet before staging pumps are required.
Accommodations include a primary care berth, four secondary berths and a portable berth that can be positioned in the aft cabin to handle injuries sustained during an incident. The accommodations make it possible for the four-person crew to stay on station for extended periods.
Like its two class predecessors, the new boat is 70 feet 10 inches long with a beam of 22 feet 10 inches. It draws just 34 inches for shallow water operations. It will serve the Houston Fire Department and the Houston Port Authority along the Houston Ship Channel.
Fireboat 20 from Foss Maritime in Seattle is the first of two boats to replace Liberty and Challenger at the Port of Long Beach. |
Courtesy Foss Maritime |
During the past year, MetalCraft also delivered a FireStorm 36 to North Hudson (N.J.) Regional Fire Rescue, a FireStorm 30 to Marco Island (Fla.) Fire/Rescue, a FireStorm 50 to the Alexandria (Va.) Fire Department, and the 44-foot Stan Musial to the St. Louis (Mo.) Fire Department.
On the West Coast, Moose Boats of Petaluma, Calif., finalized contract specifications with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for the construction of two M2-35 outboard catamarans for emergency response and patrol. The aluminum boats are equipped with self-contained Darley fire pumps.
Lee Shore Boats of Port Angeles, Wash., delivered a new 33-foot fireboat, Guardian, to East Jefferson Fire Rescue in Port Townsend, Wash. A Kodiak 330-hp engine, coupled with an American Turbine jet pump, allows the boat to expel 1,250 gpm at 125 psi, or up to 3,000 gpm at 50 psi. A remote-controlled Task Force Tips monitor is located at the bow.
North River Boats of Roseburg, Ore., builder of Almar aluminum boats for the U.S. Coast Guard, Navy and state and local governments, delivered the 30-foot Mary Firstenburg to the Clark County (Wash.) Fire Department. The fireboat features a 5.7-liter Kodiak 350 that drives a Hale 1,500-gpm pump. There is a Crossfire monitor on the stern and 1,250-gpm Task Force Tips monitor on the bow.
Patrol boats
This sector has proved to be busy during the past year as foreign countries tap U.S. builders for security watercraft. Demand has also been steady from U.S. law enforcement agencies and the U.S. military, with a few of the industry’s less prominent builders getting in on the action.
Keeping busy beyond fireboats, MetalCraft Marine was awarded a contract to build four long-range interceptor II (LRI II) boats for the U.S. Coast Guard. The five-year contract is valued at a potential $10.1 million with the option for up to 10 boats.
The 33-foot patrol boats are powered by twin Cummins Tier 3 6.7-liter diesel engines and Ultra Jet 305 drives with electronic joystick controls. All systems are designed for equatorial and arctic conditions, and each patrol boat has a fully integrated standard Coast Guard Furuno electronics package.
Fireboat 20's aluminum superstructure was built by Kvichak Marine. |
Courtesy Foss Maritime |
The LRI II has a range of 236 nautical miles and can reach a top speed of 42 knots.
Somerset, Mass.-based Gladding-Hearn, which built Fort Ripley, a multipurpose fast-response boat profiled on page 32, continues to supply new patrol boats to the New York City Police Department. The shipyard delivered the second 61-foot boat of an order of five to NYPD’s Harbor Unit.
The boats feature a Chesapeake-class hull. They have squared-off bows with fendering and push knees. The boats are designed to respond to a wide variety of emergencies and include a patient triage room, diver’s ready room and a fly bridge. The decks are heated for winter operations.
The patrol boats are powered by twin 10-cylinder MTU-10V2000M94 diesels each producing 1,600 bhp at 2,450 rpm. The engines drive Hamilton HM521 waterjets through ZF3000 gearboxes. Top speed is more than 35 knots.
On the military side of the ledger, Metal Shark Boats of Jeanerette, La., was awarded a contract to build up to 350 high-speed maneuverable surface target (HSMST) boats for the U.S. Navy.
The new boats are based on Metal Shark’s 26-foot Relentless center console design. They include a welded aluminum hull, cockpit and side decks, foam flotation below decks and in gunwales, and sheathed foam collar fendering. The boats will be used for advanced weapons systems testing and fleet training.
C&G Boat Works of Mobile, Ala., is building two new patrol boats for the U.S. Navy’s Naval System Command. The patrol boats are used by officer trainees at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., and include classroom space and simulated navigation and control systems.
Mary ​Firstenburg, the new fire and rescue boat for Clark County in Washington state, is put through its paces on the Columbia River. |
Brian Gauvin |
Swiftships Shipbuilders of Morgan City, La., is among the U.S. yards taking advantage of demand from foreign customers. In February 2014, Swiftships delivered two 120-foot coastal patrol craft (CPC) to the Iraqi navy through the Foreign Military Sales program with the U.S. Navy.
The aluminum vessels, propelled by three MTU 16V2000 diesel engines with three propellers, can top 30 knots and can sustain a 25-man crew for up to six days. Swiftships also was scheduled to deliver four 91-foot patrol boats for the Egyptian navy in 2014.
Willard Marine of Anaheim, Calif., is under contract for four aluminum patrol boats for the Ukrainian navy, with an option for a fifth. The deal involves two Sea Force 36-foot and two Sea Force 22-foot boats.
The 36-footers are powered by Cummins QSB 380-hp engines and Hamilton HJ292 waterjets. The 22-footers are equipped with Cummins QSB 230-hp engines and Mercruiser stern drives.
Hann Powerboats of Sarasota, Fla., is building a high-speed, medium-range aluminum patrol boat for a Nigerian security firm. The Peacemaker 40 boasts a top speed of 50 knots and a range of 500 nm at 35 knots.
The boat is designed to carry medium- to large-caliber weapons and provide ballistic protection for the crew. It also can be equipped with sophisticated surveillance equipment. It has a fully enclosed cabin and is suitable for inshore and offshore multi-day missions.
Isla Pelicano sports a fresh coat of paint prior to being delivered by Gladding-Hearn in Somerset, Mass. It is the first of six Chesapeake-class pilot boats from the yard bound for the Colombian navy. |
Rich Miller |
Front Street Shipyard of Belfast, Maine, traditionally known as a yacht builder, is getting in on the military action by constructing high-performance multihulls for Trefoil Marine. The T30 is a catamaran that will be used primarily for military and police patrol, fire and rescue.
Pilot boats
Kvichak Marine Industries of Seattle delivered Astoria, a self-righting, 74-foot all-aluminum pilot boat, to the Columbia River Bar Pilots of Astoria, Ore. It is the third boat for the bar pilots designed by Camarc Ltd. of the United Kingdom.
The pilots operate over the bar at the mouth of the river, which is known for its extreme weather and rough water. The conditions require reliable, stable and self-righting boats to safely transport pilots to and from the ships and tugs that navigate across the bar.
Power for the 75-foot Astoria is provided by twin MTU 16V2000 M70 marine diesels rated for 1,410 bhp at 2,100 rpm, with twin ZF 3050 electric shift transmissions. The engines are coupled to a pair of Hamilton 651 waterjets. Top speed is about 29 knots; cruise speed is 25 knots.
Kvichak also delivered the pilot boat Georgia to the Savannah Pilots Association. The 64-foot all-aluminum boat is the second vessel built by Kvichak for the group.
Metal Shark Boats of Jeanerette, La., will build as many as 350 high-speed maneuverable surface target (HSMST) boats for the U.S. Navy. |
Courtesy Metal Shark Boats |
The Camarc-designed boat is powered by twin MTU 12V2000 engines rated for 1,450 bhp each, with Hamilton 521 waterjets and ZF 3050 marine gears. This combination allows for excellent maneuverability with a top speed of 35 knots.
The lineup of newbuilds from Gladding-Hearn includes a new pilot boat for the Tampa Bay Pilots Association. The 52-foot all-aluminum boat features a deep-V hull designed by C. Raymond Hunt Associates of New Bedford, Mass. It is powered by twin Volvo Penta D11-503 EPA Tier 3 marine diesels, each delivering 503 hp at 2,250 rpm.
Gladding-Hearn also delivered Isla Pelicano, the first of six Chesapeake-class pilot boats to the Colombian Department of the Navy for offshore patrols and port security. The 56-foot, deep-V, all-aluminum boats are driven by twin MAN R6-800CRM diesels, each delivering 800 hp at 2,300 rpm. The engines turn Ultra Jet UJ-452 waterjets through ZF 360 gears. The boats have a top speed of 27 knots.