VESSEL REVIEW | Shipeku – New launch delivered to Canada’s Laurentian Pilotage Authority

Estonian boatbuilder Baltic Workboats recently delivered a new pilot launch to the Laurentian Pilotage Authority based in the city of Montreal, Canada.

Named Shipeku after the translation of “Green” in the Canadian indigenous Innu-aimun language, the newbuild has all-aluminium construction, an LOA of 16.99 metres, a beam of 5.6 metres, a draught of 1.45 metres, and space for one coxswain and six pilots/passengers. The vessel features Baltic Workboats’ patented wave-piercing hull, which has also proven capable of delivering improved seakeeping and manoeuvrability as well as allowing navigation through ice.

The design helps reduce vertical acceleration by as much as 40 per cent compared to boats with conventional hulls. Fuel efficiency is improved by up to 20 per cent, and the levels of noise and vibration are noticeably lower than on vessels that utilise traditional designs.

The boat itself is capable of self-righting, guaranteeing the provision of pilot transfer services under a broad range of weather conditions. Operations are possible even as ambient air temperatures drop to minus 25 degrees Celsius. Ocean 3 fendering provides impact protection for the hull.

The layout emphasises safety and mobility with the handrails placed along the wheelhouse exterior and closer to the centreline on the forward deck. This arrangement allows pilots to more easily and safely walk along the open deck and then transfer to other vessels through various points, enhancing operational flexibility.

Shipeku is powered by two Volvo Penta D16 551kW engines fed by two 1,400-litre tanks. The IMO Tier III-compliant engines drive fixed-pitch propellers via ZF 665 gearboxes to deliver a maximum speed of 30 knots and a range of 300 nautical miles at a service speed of 25 knots.

The electronics suite meanwhile includes two radars and displays from Simrad. These and the other onboard systems draw power from a Kohler 5EFKOD generator.

Click here for more news, features, and vessel reviews as part of this month’s focus on marine pilotage operations.