Page 28: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (June 1994)

market in anti-terrorism and drug enforcement applications, particu- larly in the Middle and Far East, and is actively marketing a 40-knot version.

Undoubtedly the UK's largest producer of small commercial ves- sels, Halmatic has also been a major contributor to the highly active Eu- ropean pilot boat building scene by delivering vessels, based on the es- tablished Nelson hull design, to countries as far apart as France and 34

Mozambique. This type of vessel is undoubtedly a strength of U.K. yards where a fairly healthy commercial boatbuilding industry is all that now survives in a once world-renowned shipbuilding nation.

Amid several deliveries in recent months were Estuary Warden (for

Estuary Services) andHumber Alert (for Humber Pilotage)—in each case the fourth Halmatic pilot boat to be ordered by each operator. Both are based on Nelson 48/50 hulls with

Circle 208 on Reader Service Card

Humber Alert joining a fleet which boasts the busiest operation of its kind in the U.K. with 160 autho- rized pilots making approximately 25,000 boardings and landings a year of all shipping entering the

River Humber. Scania-powered with Twin Disc gearboxes, the boat's most significant design feature is a specially configured superstructure with a forward-raked windscreen which gives more wheelhouse space for the two-person crew and six pilots..

Nelsons were also selected by

Associated British Ports, U.K., last year with Halmatic and Berthon

Boat Co. recipients of orders. The

Berthon vessel, a Nelson 45 dubbed

Protector, was also designed to po- lice the 'Moving Prohibited Zone' in front of ships using the busy navi- gable channel in Southampton Wa- ter and as such was designed for loitering purposes.

New to the pilot boat building scene in the U.K., William Osborne delivered a Nelson 45 to Portsmouth harbor and also promoted designs for the Osborne 350—a vessel of- fered with a greater beam to length ratio than most traditional hulls and a heavily strengthened GRP hull.

Vessels can be bought or leased—an unusual offer from a small yard.

Other yards such as Goodchild

Marine, FBM Marine and Jones

Buckie Shipyard have also made recent deliveries to the home mar- ket while the U.K. naval architect

Alastair Cameron has furnished the design for the innovative high speed Voyager class of pilot boat for

Loodswezen, the Dutch Pilotage

Organisation, built by Engelaer in

Holland as part of a $1.5 million research project.

An equally impressive research project has also been concluded by the British rescue organization, the

RNLI, resulting in the Trent class lifeboat, the first production version of which has recently undergone self-righting trials. The Trent class differs most significantly in being built in lightweight composite mate- rials as opposed to aluminium.

Eight Trent class lifeboats are now in various stages of completion and although exact future require- ments are as yet unclear it is ex- pected that about 45 of this class of lifeboat will eventually enter RNLI service. Much of the search and rescue deliveries of late, however, revolve around the extremely busy rigid inflatables marketplace—yet another small boat area in which

U.K. yards are dominant.

Ideally suited to sprint speed res- cues, RIBs are popular with police, coastguard and rescue authorities in Europe with companies such as

Delta, FBM (TaskForce), Avon,

Dunlop and Carson making regular deliveries. Reputable headway is also being made in the Far East with seven Carson boats, for example, due for delivery to Indonesia this year and substantial paramilitary orders in the offing. Delta has deliv- ered four of its outstanding rigid inflatables to European Customs authorities over the past few months while Tornado teamed up with Nim- bus of Sweden to produce a 32-ft. (9.9-m) RIB for a successful, if event- ful, trans-Atlantic challenge cross- ing.

Look for Carol Fulford's and Andy

Smith's "EUROPEAN" feature each month in the Maritime Reporter &

Engineering News, as the duo re- ports on the latest technologica lad- vances and happenings of the day.

Maritime Reporter/Engineering News

Fax: +81-6-474-2110 Tlx: 523-3188

Fax: +1-215-565-9384

Fax: +852-850-5239

And, our patented inflatable backup seals and split face components allow for emergency primary seal inspection, maintenance and repair without dry docking. No other seal offers these advantages.

John Crane Marine offers seal designs for all hull sealing needs—water, grease and oil lubricated systems for propulsion shaft, rudder stock, bulkhead, fin stabilizer and bow thruster applications. Sizes range from 2" to 60" in non-split, partially split and fully split configurations.

Workboat performance at its design best!

E-Series propeller and rudder shaft seals boost productivity... extend time between scheduled maintenance and dry dock- ings...save time and money...and limit pollution.

Proven John Crane maneBar mechanical seals provide maximum sealing integrity. They virtually eliminate excessive leakage, slash maintenance and reduce the volume of oily bilge water. These seals are designed to meet tough applications for tugs, trawlers, ferries, fishing boats, offshore supply ships.

Our experience is trusted. Worldwide.

John Crane l^rine 1536 Barclay Blvd.-"" —

Buffalo Grove, IL 60089

Phone: 708-808-9240

Fax: 708-808-9295 A member of the Tl Group

Circle 323 on Reader Service Card 7-32, Takeshima 4-chome, Nishiyodogawa-ku, Osaka, Japan

U. S. A. J.G.G.Services /Sasakura

Hong Kong Sasakura International (H.K.) Co.Ltd.

If you never tried one, you cannot expect satisfaction without inquir- ing to SASAKURA first.

SASAKURA

Marine & Industrial Equipment Dept.

Why don't you try again this proud brand? Sales of over 10,000 units during the past 30 years is proof of our superiority and reliability.