VESSEL REVIEW | GMB Pilot-1 – New locally-built pilot boat to serve India's Navlakhi Port
The Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) of India recently welcomed a new pilot boat into service.
Classed by the Indian Register of Shipping, GMB Pilot-1 was built by A.H. Wadia Boat Builders (AHWB) based in Bilimora in Gujarat.
The all-steel newbuild has an LOA of 18 metres (59 feet), a beam of 5.08 metres (16.7 feet), a maximum draught of only 1.3 metres (4.3 feet), a moulded depth of 2.85 metres (9.35 feet), a displacement of 46 tonnes, and seating for up to eight pilots and four crewmembers.
“The pilot vessel is based on our proven 18-metre hull form, now further refined for improved stability and running trim,” AHWB told Baird Maritime.
“This build required significant increases in weight due to the owner’s requirements, including larger-capacity generators, a steel superstructure, and higher-capacity main engines. To meet these requirements, the propulsion system was redesigned to ensure the vessel still achieved the required performance.”
Proven all-weather capability
The vessel was designed completely in-house by AHWB to match the operational specifications set by GMB. It is built on a versatile platform that allows rapid role changes, and it is the first modern speedboat to be deployed at Navlakhi Port in Gujarat.
“The craft is an all-weather platform intended to deliver uninterrupted operations throughout the year.”
Testing of the boat took place on her maiden voyage from Bilimora to Navlakhi, where the vessel covered roughly 400 nautical miles along the Gujarat coastline. During the latter half of the journey, the crew encountered extreme conditions and heavy chop for nearly 200 nautical miles.
“Despite intense rain, strong winds and a stormy atmosphere, the vessel maintained continuous cruising speeds through the night,” said AHWB. “Fortunately the crew completed the passage with confidence, demonstrating the boat’s capability, stability and reliability in challenging offshore conditions.”
Built with secondary patrol and emergency response functions
The boat is intended for operations in and around Gujarat’s coastal waters up to 20 nautical miles or as per IV limits. It was designed to be highly seaworthy and capable of operating in Sea State three conditions, both offshore and in breaking waves near the coast as well as in shallow water.
“The vessel and equipment are designed to function reliably in extreme climatic conditions, with propulsion, power generation, life-saving appliances and all engineering systems built for safe and dependable performance,” said AHWB.
The vessel currently serves as GMB’s sole pilot boat, operating up to the Navlakhi inner anchorage at 5.5 nautical miles and, when required, the outer anchorage at around 25 nautical miles. She can also support towing, pushing, mooring, firefighting, rescue, patrol, and survey duties as required by GMB.
Power is provided by two Cummins QSK-19M inboard diesel engines that each produce 1,194 kW (1,600 hp) to deliver speeds of over 20 knots. The engines are installed on resilient mounts for vibration damping, and the vessel has a power-assisted steering system for ease of manoeuvring.
Electrical power is meanwhile supplied by two Kirlostar 41.4kW generators.
“With twin engines enabling speeds above 20 knots, piloting time has been cut nearly in half compared to earlier boats, which has sharply increased operational efficiency, vessel turnaround, and overall port profitability,” AHWB told Baird Maritime. “Her all-weather capability reduces delays during rough seasons, while improved manoeuvrability enhances pilot transfer safety.”
The robust steel construction and simplified mechanical systems meanwhile minimise maintenance downtime, ensuring high availability and consistent performance throughout the year.
Modifications to permit all-steel construction
The electronics suite consists of a Garmin GPS with echosounder, a Uniden VHF radio, a radar and an MF/HF transceiver from Icom, a SART, an EPIRB, and a class B AIS. For emergency response, the boat relies on a liferaft and a portable firefighting pump installed on the aft deck. Anchoring is not required for daily operations, so a manual winch was fitted.
“The boat has a standard pantry arrangement with a refrigerator, a hot plate, a microwave oven, and a water purifier,” the builder said.
For AHWB, the main challenge in the design phase was in ensuring the steel-hulled GMB Pilot-1 was able to withstand wave heights of up to two metres (6.6 feet) with minimal rolling and pitching.
“With a steel superstructure, managing [vessel centre of gravity] balance was critical,” the builder told Baird Maritime. “Achieving 20-plus knots with a higher displacement required a hull that could plane efficiently and run without excessive trim, ensuring safe piloting operations.”
AHWB’s pilot and patrol boats are typically built with FRP superstructures to reduce deadweight and construction time. For this build, although a proven hull form was used, the superstructure had to be redesigned entirely in steel. This also necessitated switching from the company’s standard four-bladed, fixed-pitch propellers to five-bladed propellers to reduce blade loading.
“We reinforced the importance of keeping system engineering simple and easy to maintain, especially since the vessel operates from a remote port where service travel time is long. Most systems are indigenous and mechanical so they can be maintained through regular checks.
“We also further optimised the hull to reduce wave-making drag by adjusting the spray rails and chine design. By optimising the weight and propeller design, we were able to achieve a 22-knot top speed whereas the requirement was only for 20 knots.”
