N a v y Awards $ 9 6 8 , 0 00 Fiberglass Patrol Boat Contract To Uniflite

The U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded two separate contracts with an aggregate value of $968,000 for the construction of fiberglass patrol boats, one for the development of a prototype 11-meter (36-foot) high-speed diesel craft to Uniflite, Inc., headquartered in Bellingham, Wash., according to James J. Doud Jr., Uniflite Executive vice president and general manager.

The 11-meter Sea Fox patrol boat will have a deep-vee hull and special shallow-draft propulsion system powered with twin Detroit Diesel 6V92TA engines rated at 450 hp each. It will be adaptable for transportation of special forces or as a small gunboat. The prototype will undergo complete evaluation by the Navy, following delivery scheduled for December 31, 1977. Value of this contract is $493,000.

The other award is for five 31- foot PBR Mark II river patrol boats valued at $465,000, scheduled for delivery in November 1977. These are fiberglass, waterjet propelled, shallow-draft boats specifically designed for riverine warfare. Uniflite has built about 550 of these vessels for the U.S.

Navy and several foreign govern- ments since the mid-1960s.

Widely used in Vietnam, the PBRs have an 11-foot 6-inch beam and 18-inch draft and are powered by twin Detroit Diesel 6V53N engines rated at 210 hp each driving through Jacuzzi model 14YJ water-jet propulsion pumps of special corrosionresistant construction. Armament consists of two 50-caliber machine guns forward and a single 50- caliber machine gun aft. The boats will be outfitted with armor, radio, and provision for radar.

Uniflite, which later this year marks its 20th anniversary, is the largest builder of fiberglass boats for the U.S. Navy. It is also a leading manufacturer of fireretardant recreational cruisers and sport fishing boats, 28 to 42 feet, and produces a broad line of commercial boats and specialpurpose craft for use as fire, police, ambulance, excursion, school bus, and enforcement boats. The company has a second plant in Swansboro, N.C., on the Intracoastal Waterway.

For more information, contact A1 Hill at Uniflite, Inc., P.O. Box 1095, Bellingham, Wash. 98225.

Other stories from May 1977 issue

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