Gladding-Hearn Delivers New Pilot Boat To Charleston, S.C.

Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, The Duclos Corp., recently delivered a new pilot boat to the Charleston Branch Pilots.

The SIS, a 39-foot monohull, is the fifth pilot boat built by the Massachusetts yard for the South Carolina company since 1960. The latest vessel will ferry crews from downtown Charleston to Wando Terminal in Mt. Pleasant, in addition to transporting pilots to ships. The trip, normally made overland, will save an estimated 30 minutes, according to Whit Smith, association president.

The all-aluminum vessel was designed by C.Raymond Hunt Associates of Boston. Extra heavy chine bars protect the deep-V hull when maneuvering alongside submarines, and the independently-mounted 350 gallon fuel tank prevents overboard spills in the event of hull damage.

The SIS is powered by a 350-hp Detroit Diesel 8V-92NA engine and can reach a top speed of 20 knots.

The vessel features heating and air conditioning, seating for six in the wheelhouse, a roof-boarding platform and pilot-rescue platform off the transom.

One of the most notable improvements is the SIS's reduced noise levels. A combination of older and new technologies, which have been adapted from the yard's catamaran ferries, has reduced the sound levels in the wheelhouse to 78 decibels.

The boat includes metal sheathed, high-density sound-absorbent insulation underdeck and against the engine room bulkheads and an air intake system that reduces engine noise. The boat is also equipped with very heavy duty, sound-absorbing engine mounts and a hospitalgrade exhaust system.

For literature detailing the services of Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Circle 46 on Reader Service Card

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