VESSEL REVIEW | Fast river response boat for Louisiana sheriff’s office

Annapolis, Maryland-based Ocean Craft Marine (OCM) has delivered a new rigid inflatable boat (RIB) to the St James Parish Sheriff’s Office in southern Louisiana.

The riverine interceptor will be operated by the sheriff’s Special Response Team (SRT). Missions will include domestic incident response, natural disaster response, and anti-narcotics operations.

The RIB has an LOA of 26 feet (8.2 metres), a beam of eight feet (2.55 metres), a lightship displacement of 4,091 pounds (1,856 kilograms), capacity for 3,177 pounds (1,441 kilograms) of cargo, and space for up to 15 personnel including the crew. Two Mercury Marine SeaPro 150hp (111kW) outboard engines propel the boat to speeds of over 50 knots.

OCM developed the RIB with a proprietary advanced concave reverse-chine hull design to ensure significantly enhanced seakeeping and the ability to make high-speed tactical turns. The boat’s behaviour is therefore more predictable compared to other similarly sized vessels, allowing SRT operators to execute highly precise manoeuvres when responding to time-sensitive incidents.

The other key features of the boat include a military-grade Hypalon pneumatic tube-set, a T-top with an integrated electronics mast, fore and aft tow posts, and an aft a-frame with an integrated guard for the outboard engines.

Click here for more news stories, feature articles, and vessel reviews as part of this month’s focus on emergency services vessels.