VESSEL REVIEW | Svitzer Marlin – Pilot boat to support LNG terminal operations in Western Australia

Towage operator Svitzer recently took delivery of a new pilot boat from Western Australia-based boatbuilder Dongara Marine.

Designed by Southerly Designs, Svitzer Marlin was acquired to help fulfil a contract to provide terminal towage and pilot transfer services at Woodside Energy’s LNG export terminals.

Svitzer has a 10-year contractual arrangement with Woodside for the provision of towage and pilot transfer services at the latter’s LNG export operations in the Port of Dampier in Western Australia commencing from the end of 2023.

The all-aluminium newbuild has a length of 17.2 metres, a beam of five metres, space for two crewmembers and six pilots, a highly flared bow for improved seakeeping, and two Volvo Penta IPS drives each consisting of a D11 inboard diesel engine and a steerable pod with twin counter-rotating propellers.

Volvo Penta also supplied the electronic control system that directly controls the steerable pods, allowing the boat to turn on its own length as well as manoeuvre sideways during vessel transfers, berthing, and unberthing.

Dongara Marine said that the Volvo Penta IPS’ total installed power of 900 kW can deliver a top speed of just under 36 knots even when the boat is fully loaded, as proven during sea trials.

At 80 per cent power, the vessel can cruise at 28 knots using less than 6.5 litres of fuel per nautical mile. The trials also showed the boat is capable of quick acceleration, going from idle to cruising speed in just 15 seconds.

Other notable features include a PE foam and HDPE tube fender system, a Furuno radar, and a man overboard recovery system.

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