US-based Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding has delivered a new high-speed fire/rescue boat to the US Army.
The all-aluminum vessel, designed jointly by the Somerset, Massachusetts, shipyard and C Raymond Hunt Associates, measures 23.1 metres overall, with a 6.3-metre beam and a shallow 1.3-metre draught. Designed to meet the Army's primary mission of fire protection for its munitions terminal in Sunny Point, North Carolina, the vessel will also aid local cities and towns. Its pilot boat pedigree offers additional capacity in offshore fire and rescue operations.
Twin Caterpillar C-32 diesel engines, each rated 1,193kW at 2,300rpm, turn a pair of HamiltonJet HM-651 waterjets through Twin Disc MGX-6599 SC gear boxes. The boat has a top speed of 29 knots. HamiltonJet's Marine Electronic Control System (MECS) controls the waterjets, engines and gears at the wheelhouse console and an exterior control station on the aft deck. The jets allow for operating in shallow water, while the three-access joystick-control gives superior maneuverability in close quarters.
The vessel's fire-fighting system consists of two pumps, each powered by a dedicated Caterpillar C-9 diesel engine, supplying five monitors and eight hydrants on deck. For petro-chemical fires, a fully automatic foam-proportioning system supplies the monitors and the hose outlets on the foredeck as well. A hydraulic knuckle-boom crane is installed aft of the pilothouse on the bridge deck. Recessed steps, built into the transom, lead to a rescue platform.
The raised pilothouse on a flush deck provides 360-degree visibility. The main deck salon, with a wide door from the aft deck, doubles as an office and advanced life-support medical station. Below the main deck are a forecastle with a galley and dinette, head, separate shower, and four berths. A seawater-cooled air conditioning system cools the vessel's interior.
