AWARDS 2025 | Best Small Patrol Boat – Sea Hawk – Norman R Wright and Sons

One of three new high-performance patrol boats delivered to the New South Wales Police Force by Australian builder Norman R Wright and Sons (NRW), Sea Hawk represents extreme quality and operability across the board.

A twin inboard diesel propulsion system delivers a top speed of 35 knots, excellent fuel efficiency, and a range of 250 nautical miles, making the boats highly capable for extended offshore operations. She can also turn almost within her own length without needing a bow thruster.

Built from lightweight, high-strength epoxy/foam core E-glass and carbon composite, Sea Hawk provides excellent seakeeping in heavy conditions while offering significantly improved crew comfort and amenity for multi-day missions.

"Twelve-metre patrol vessels are popular with Australian regulatory agencies due to reduced crewing requirements for vessels of this length and under," Tony Riek, Managing Director at NRW, told Baird Maritime. "Our goal was to set a benchmark premium product for this market and overcome what customers were experiencing as deficiencies in the existing dominant aluminium RIB offerings, including: limited offshore capability and range, high maintenance costs (associated with aluminium corrosion and inflatable tube damage), unsafe sidedecks, poor amenity for overnighting, and sub-standard air conditioning."

Riek said that, with the work, NRW resolved all of the aforementioned deficiencies by applying knowledge and quality of building typically larger composite workboats and pleasure boats in the 15- to 30-metre size range to a 12-metre vessel.

This resulted in boat with, among others: a robust structure approved to DNV Patrol S classification and extreme 5g bottom loading; a highly efficient propulsion system delivering a service speed of 25 knots; improved joystick and position holding capability; safe, full walkaround decks with a robust custom PU fender and a hydraulic swim platform allowing for multiple boarding/intercept zones and heights; a panoramic 360-degree view wheelhouse; extensive communications equipment and integrated secure police operational networking systems; and a high capacity 9kVA generator and 7kW domestic AC unit with ceiling cassette.

"Technically, the greatest issue was finding space for everything listed in the comprehensive specification," Riek remarked. "The monocoque composite sandwich construction with large frame spacing significantly helped with this. The fitment of the two propulsion units under the cockpit deck, whilst keeping the deck as low as possible for operations and still providing a good ventilation system along with easy access for maintenance, was a particular challenge, with access resolved through two huge electrically actuated hatches in the cockpit deck."

Riek added that for the build, the main challenge that NRW needed to overcome was addressing reduced productivity from competing trades working in such a confined space, which the company's personnel was not used to seeing on its larger vessel builds. Subsequent sister ship builds have thus benefited from redesigned workflows.

As with other NRW-built boats, Sea Hawk boasts lightweight construction in a bid to reduce emissions, which Riek believes is a key trend impacting shipbuilding.

"The associated philosophies of lightweight but robust construction of easily driven optimised hull forms carries through in our workboats today," he told Baird Maritime. "This is the starting point for any serious attempt to address emissions, since excess weight and drag will need to be 'pushed' around throughout the life of the vessel, contributing to excess emissions. Matching our design and construction with the highly efficient drivetrain puts vessels like our 12-metre boat in a class of their own with regard to fuel efficiency and emissions."

He added that NRW is constantly evaluating and proposing hybrid and electric propulsion systems, but though the company's main focus will continue to be on hull forms, weight, and correct matching of propulsion systems.

The delivery of Sea Hawk and her sisters Sea Eagle and Sea Dragon was completed in 2025, which Riek said was an extremely busy one for NRW, similar to previous years.

"In the last five and a bit years, we’ve delivered 18 custom work vessels between 12 metres and 24 metres as well as completing a number of extensive timber vessel refits and producing designs for production boat builders. The future continues to look busy; however, the risk of continued high inflation due to current global events, like those experienced post-Covid, means business is likely to be challenging."

He added that NRW's strategy of placing a premium benchmark 12-metre boat class into the market has been highly successful with subsequent orders demonstrating customers having a real need and willingness to pay for the features the company is providing.

The influx of new patrol boat orders is being driven by what Riek said are factors that are putting pressure on nations with coastal borders. These include disputes over waterways, mass migrations, and illegal trade.

"Government security agencies are clearly requiring to increase the number and sophistication of their marine assets to address these issues," said Riek. "Also, developing sovereign capability to ensure supply and maintenance of these assets is a growing focus among governments."

For Australia with its massive coastline, Riek commented that the aforementioned issues are only magnified. With the decline in boatbuilding companies and in capacity over previous decades, the need to increase Australia's sovereign maritime capability is crucial.

"Specifically, for smaller workboats like our 12-metre platform, we are seeing demand for greater range and overnighting amenity to service our northern coastline where manned patrol distances typically preclude smaller vessels from operating effectively," he told Baird Maritime. "Autonomous vessels are also going to play a greater role in these regions."

For a list of the 2025 "Best Of" award winners, please click here.