The following is text of a news release from Silver Ships Inc.:
(MOBILE, Ala.) — Silver Ships Inc. on Thursday announced its collaboration with industry vendors in the creation of an aluminum demonstration fire/rescue boat. The demo boat is designed and manufactured for firefighting and rescue applications, with a 26-foot-long hull and an overall length of 32 feet, 8 inches and overall width of 9 feet, 7 inches.
“We are honored to design quality boats for the fire/rescue industry, who accomplish the challenging task of keeping our waters safe every day,” said Steven Clarke, co-owner at Silver Ships. “We tried to put as many capabilities as possible into this AM800 fireboat, which is our best-selling boat model.”
The vessel is equipped with a center console EMT station and Darley fire pump, and is outfitted for missions including dewatering sinking boats, fighting fires, providing medical treatment, search and rescue operations and evacuations.
The demo boat features a Wing Inflatables collar and twin 250-hp Evinrude outboards that allow the boat to reach more than 55 miles per hour. Raymarine electronics provide navigation technology, and safety accessories such as FELL Marine's remote kill switch and Life Cell's throwable personal flotation device and ditch combo kit help protect crew and passengers during missions. Ullman seats and Viconic boat matting defend operators against injuries caused by impact at sea.
The vessel's main purpose is to showcase the capabilities and craftsmanship of Silver Ships along with participating vendors, whose parts and components enhance the mission-ready abilities of the vessel. Silver Ships will debut the demo boat during FDIC International in Indianapolis, Ind., at booth 9247, where conference attendees will have the opportunity to take a tour of the vessel. It also will be at the SEAFC Annual Leadership Conference in Montgomery, Ala., from June 25-29. Throughout the year, Silver Ships will be traveling with the demo boat on a Boatmaster trailer, making multiple stops at trade shows for vessel tours and taking customers on test drives.