Page 35: of Marine News Magazine (December 2020)

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TOP BOATS 2020 mong the most capable vesels delivered this year is cantieri Bay Shipbuilding built for us in 2003, the Ma- an aluminum catamaran built by All American Ma- donna allows us to run a second, year-round ferry with

A rine, Inc. (AAM) to patrol Texas state and federal icebreaking capabilities,” said Washington Island Ferry waters for the law enforcement division of Texas Parks and Line President Hoyt Purinton.

Wildlife Department (TPWD). by Twin CAT-C32 main engines provide 1,600 maxi-

The 80- by 27-foot Captain Murchison features twin mum horsepower while its stainless propellers and shafts

CAT C18 ACERT D Engines, with HamiltonJet HM (and stout framing) make it ice-capable. Outdoor, upper 521 waterjets and is built to USCG Subchapter T stan- deck seating and an indoor, climate-controlled cabin are dards. It is also the ? rst vessel in North America to feature available to passengers, along with restrooms on two decks.

HamiltonJet’s innovative Advanced Vessel Control (AVX) Bow and stern ramps with wide gates allow for easy vehicle system, which includes both a station keeping and a loading. The Madonna also has an overhead of 15 feet,

JETanchor positioning system. Additional vessel features suf? cient to transport high-clearance specialty equipment include a DJI Mavic Drone integrated to the helm dis- and large oversized loads as needed.

plays, as well as a FLIR M400 XR high-resolution thermal -- imaging video with tracking to assist with patrol duties in In August, Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Cor- the Gulf of Mexico. poration delivered Seaway Pilot V, a Chesapeake class pi-

The state-of-the-art hydrofoil assisted vessel, from lot boat to the Seaway Pilots Inc. in Cape Vincent, N.Y.

Teknicraft Design, combines innovative design features The Seaway pilots navigate ships in and out of the ports critical to modern maritime law enforcement. One such and harbors of the St. Lawrence Seaway between St. Regis, feature is the inclusion of Teknicraft ’s Rapid RHIB N.Y. and Port Weller on Lake Ontario.

launching system integrated into the stern of the vessel With a length overall of 53.6 feet, a beam of 17.8 feet to increase safety and reduce the time and manpower and a draft of 4.8 feet, the all-aluminum pilot boat fea- required to deploy the vessels’ rigid hull in? atable boat tures the Ray Hunt Designs deep-V hull. It is powered (RHIB). Notably, it will allow for deployment and retriev- by twin keel-cooled Volvo Penta D16, EPA Tier 3-com- al in under 1 minute. The RHIB is a 20-foot Willard with pliant diesel engines, each delivering 641Bhp at 1,800 a 170-horsepower Volvo diesel engine, and also features rpm and a top speed of 23 knots. A Humphree intercep-

HamiltonJet propulsion. tor trim-tab control system, with Automatic Trim Op-

This new vessel ? lls a vital role in the enforcement of timization is installed at the transom. Diesel capacity is environmental and patrolling responsibilities. 800 gallons, which shipyard of? cials said will provide

TPWD is responsible for patrolling state waters of Tex- a range of at least 300 miles at an economical speed of as, out to 9 nautical miles in the Gulf of Mexico. However, about 20 knots.

TPWD and Texas Game Wardens also patrol an additional The engines turn ? ve-blade NiBrAl propellers via 200 nautical miles into exclusive economic zones through ZF500-1-A gear boxes. The launch is equipped with a joint enforcement agreement with the National Oceanic a keel-cooled 12-kilowatt Northern Lights EPA Tier and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA). 3-compliant genset.

-- The wheelhouse, mounted to the ? ush deck amidships,

In June, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding delivered a new, features a center-line helm station, heated forward, side year-round passenger/vehicle ferry for service to the and roof windows, ? ve Llebroc seats and a settee. It is

Washington Island community across the Death’s Door heated/cooled by a 32,000 Btu reverse-cycle air-condition-

Passage between the Bay of Green Bay and Lake Michi- ing system. The decks, handrails and cabin are heated by gan. At 124 feet in length, 40 feet in beam and 9 feet in a 100,000 Btu diesel-? red hydronic heating system, aug- draft, and with capacity for up to 28 vehicles and 150 pas- mented by main engine waste heat.

sengers, Madonna is the largest vessel in the Washington Outside of the wheelhouse are wide side decks, side and

Island Ferry ? eet, allowing crews to operate a spacious sec- rear doors, and heated roof and boarding platforms on the ond ferry with year-round capabilities. This newest ferry roof. Because of season icing, the launch’s bottom has ex- design incorporates ice capabilities in addition to adding tra-thick plating. At the transom are throttle and steering signi? cant vehicle capacity. controls, and a winch-operated, ? xed davit over stairs to a “With a similar design to the Arni J. Richter, which Fin- recessed platform for rescue operations.

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