California Department of Fish and Wildlife takes delivery of Ribcraft USA newbuilds, orders additional boats

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) recently took delivery of two new rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) in a series from Ribcraft USA.

Delivered to the Southern District which covers all of Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles and San Diego counties, the new boats will be operated by one or two wardens for patrol and enforcement operations.

The RIBs each have an LOA of 5.85 metres, a beam of 2.4 metres, space for up to 10 people, and one Yamaha 85kW outboard engine that delivers a maximum speed of 34 knots.

The CDFW has also awarded Ribcraft USA a contract for the delivery of additional 5.85-metre boats but with a slightly modified layout that will enable these to be deployed from the department’s larger, long-range fisheries patrol vessels.