VESSEL REVIEW | River Pearl 14 – Patrol and rescue boat to operate out of India's Paradip Port

India’s Synergy Shipbuilders has handed over a new high-speed river patrol boat to local marine services provider the KMEW Group.

The 15-metre (49-foot), all-aluminium River Pearl 14 was built to a design by local naval architecture firm Vector Marine and Offshore Technology in compliance with Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) requirements.

The boat will be operated as a quick response, pursuit and rescue platform in support of activities of the Central Industrial Security Force – a police force under India’s Ministry of Home Affairs – at the Port of Paradip on the country’s eastern coast.

“As per the International Security Protocol Code, every port is supposed to have a high-speed boat for carrying out patrolling activities within port limits,” Synergy Shipbuilders told Baird Maritime. “The boat has been designed and built as per the specifications laid down by the Directorate General of Shipping for patrolling activities within the port limits.

The builder added that the boat will be equipped with surveillance sensors and weaponry for law enforcement purposes, hence the incorporation of a dedicated post for mounting a machine gun.

Propulsion setup ensuring maximised use of space

“The owner won a tender from the port to build, operate and run a vessel that will be deployed by the port for patrolling purposes, and the speed of the vessel had to be 20 knots.”

The propulsion system consists of two Weichai 335kW (450hp) engines driving fixed-pitch propellers via ZF downward-angle gearboxes, which Synergy Shipbuilders said were not normally used. This configuration was selected to allow for a more compact engine room, thus making the boat lighter and faster.

“The engine is mechanical, so the electronics used are only limited to communication and navigation,” the builder said. “For a boat this size, she has [similar] communications equipment [found on] bigger ships.”

Other notable features include a winch with a 50kg (110lb) anchor and windows with ballistic protection.

Equipment lead time issues successfully addressed

One challenge encountered during the design phase of River Pearl 14 was in streamlining the hull and the propeller design to achieve the speed desired by the owner. As the vessel was made of aluminium, the finish of the hull also needed to be taken into consideration.

“One of the challenges we faced during the build was in receiving the materials and parts from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) following their delivery,” Synergy Shipbuilders told Baird Maritime.

As some key components had longer lead times and needed to be imported, there were some issues in making sure these were already available within the builder’s desired timeframe.

For Synergy Shipbuilders, every vessel is unique, having been built to owners’ requirements and involving numerous lessons learned during construction.

“What’s most important is all the stakeholders work with collaboration and open communication to reach the final goal. The efforts and cooperation need to come from the owner, builder, designer and even from vendors.

“Vendors play an important role in delivering the equipment from OEMs on time and providing satisfactory service in commissioning the equipment. With years of experience, we have developed a supply chain with trustworthy vendors who will fulfil their commitments on time.”

The builder remarked that it has also developed “good relations” with IRS to ensure that any required approvals come in a timely manner.