The US Coast Guard and shipbuilder Rozema Boat Works authenticated the keel for the first special purpose craft – heavy weather (SPC-HWX II) during a ceremony in Mount Vernon, Washington, on Wednesday, July 8.
The coast guard plans to acquire up to six SPC-HWX II vessels to replace its 52-foot (16-metre) heavy weather boats, which entered service in the 1950s and 1960s and retired in 2021.
Like their predecessors, the SPC-HWX II will be homeported in the Pacific Northwest and designed to perform coast guard missions in extreme weather and challenging surf conditions beyond the capabilities of other boats.
The SPC-HWX II will support search and rescue, disabled vessel towing, law enforcement, ports, waterways and coastal security, as well as other coast guard missions.
Measuring 64 feet (20 metres) in length, the SPC-HWX II design features self-righting capability and can operate in 35-foot (11-metre) seas, 25-foot surf (7.6-metre), and winds up to 60 knots. Powered by twin 1,200hp (890kW) diesel engines, it will reach speeds of 20 knots, tow up to 300 tons, and operate up to 150 miles (240 kilometres) offshore.
With accommodation for a relief crew, the SPC-HWX II will have an endurance of up to 48 hours.
Delivery of the first SPC-HWX II is scheduled for 2027.
