VESSEL REVIEW | Saint-Michel – France's Le Havre Pilot Station welcomes new self-righting boat into service
France's JFA Yachts recently handed over a new self-righting boat to the Le Havre Pilot Station.
Designed by local naval architecture firm Pantocarene, Saint-Michel is of all-FRP construction and has an LOA of 16.18 metres (53.08 feet), a beam of 4.91 metres (16.1 feet), a draught of only 1.5 metres (4.9 feet), a lightship displacement of 21 tons, and space for two crewmembers and up to eight pilots.
Two MAN D2676 LE 477 diesel engines that each produce 500 hp (370 kW) are installed in a V-drive configuration. These drive two propellers via shaftlines to deliver a maximum speed of 25 knots.
Layout ensuring ease of maintenance
A selective catalytic reduction system with urea injection helps minimise the engines' NOx emissions to ensure compliance with IMO Tier III standards.
The engines are housed in an aft deck casing that can be easily removed to allow maintenance and servicing.
Proven bow design delivering greater stability even at speed
Saint-Michel boasts Pantocarene’s prominent wave-piercing beak bow design that facilitates smooth navigation in turbulent waters, thus significantly reducing vertical acceleration and ensuring stability for pilots.
The vessel's self-righting ability meanwhile allows her to continue to operate after recovering from a weather-induced capsizing, making her ideal for deployment in offshore waters characterised by extreme conditions.
Safety-centric outer deck arrangement
The newbuild features a modern pilot boat deck layout that can facilitate easy transfers to other vessels. Handrails have been placed well inboard as well as along the exterior of the wheelhouse instead of on the main deck outer perimeter.
This configuration will enable safe passage along the main deck even in rough seas as well as permit transfers via various points on the deck, unlike in earlier pilot boat designs that limited boarding only at the bow.
Fixed port and starboard side ladders are also fitted to enable pilots to board larger ships without the need for additional equipment. Heavy duty fendering has been incorporated to absorb hull-to-hull impact.
Comfortable interior for up to 10
The wheelhouse itself has suspension mounting to reduce noise and vibration, an ergonomic interior layout, crew and passenger seats from Recaro, and two-upward facing windows to provide the coxswain with enhanced situational awareness when manoeuvring alongside larger vessels during transfers.
The electronics suite includes a Furuno radar mounted on the wheelhouse and switchboards installed in a technical space.
Saint-Michel is the sixth pilot boat in a series to be acquired by the Le Havre Pilot Station. She has since replaced her sister Sainte-Marie, which had been operating with the station since she was delivered brand-new in 2003.
