New boat delivered to Florida's Biscayne Bay Pilots

Irish boatbuilder Safehaven Marine recently handed over a new boat to Biscayne Bay Pilots, a pilotage operator based at the Port of Miami in Florida.

The new boat, also named Miami, has an LOA of 14.9 metres, a beam of 4.4 metres, and a draught of 1.32 metres. A maximum of seven pilots and crewmembers can be accommodated on board.

The vessel is powered by Scania DI 13 engines, providing her with an operational speed of 25 knots. The wheelhouse features Grammer shock-mitigating seats for the pilots and crew and a 30,000btu air conditioner.

The outer hull boasts Ocean 3's fendering system that incorporates a larger fender at the shoulder impact area and a cut-away recess at the pilot boarding area to prevents a larger ship's pilot ladder from becoming trapped.

The central helm position offers panoramic vision all round and above. Frank Kowalski, Safehaven Marine Managing Director, said this position will provide the operator with maximum comfort and control of the vessel, especially under challenging conditions.

Another feature incorporated at the owner's request is a forward watertight door on the port side adjacent the helm to facilitate quick access from the cabin to the boarding point.

Miami also incorporates Safehaven Marine's transom-mounted MOB recovery platform.