Page 136: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 2015)

VESSELS

Features • Commercial off-the-shelf availability • 45-55 knots • High payload • tability to ISO 12217 Category B • Rapid recon? gurable seating • 24” collar for alongside operations • Rapid automatic tube in? ation system • Road transportable • C-130, C-5, C-17 transportable

MetalCraft’s

Main Particulars

Length, o.a. 10.45 m (34.5 ft.)

Beam, o.a. 3.2 m (10.5 ft.)

Beam (de? ated): 2.59 m (8.6 ft.)

Weight (dry) 10,500 lbs.

New RIB on the Block

Weight (full load) 14,500 lbs.

Fuel capacity 264 gal.

Blending Commercial-Off-The-Shelf with Customization

Options • Multiple seating con? gurations • Raymarine or equivalent electronics package • 2 x 300-400 hp engines

MetalCraft Marine Inc. launched a new high-speed done that in this case,” explained Michael Allen, gen- • Option snorkel kit (Mercury Verado only) aluminum rigid in? atable boat (RIB), a unique, ? exible eral manager at MetalCraft.

• Hinged arch boat design that the company envisions as opening new Built on a multipurpose platform, the RIB has been • 8-24” Round or D-Shaped Collar markets across military and commercial markets. engineered to lend itself to multiple mission pro? les –

Though MetalCraft has already built a number of military, paramilitary, government agencies or a gen-

RIBs for navy and search/rescue customers, the builder eral workboat – so its aptness for customization is key. is known foremost for its work in the ? reboat market. To that end, most of the vessel’s equipment and systems integrate a range of different technologies, in line with

With its latest nine-meter RIB offering, however, the – from engine horsepower to electronics – are speci? - new RIB platform’s readiness for customization.

MetalCraft diversi? es to tap deeper into the RIB seg- able based on customer requirements. But customization does not change the vessel’s fun- ment, brining to the market a product that is fast to For example, the vessel is available in multiple col- damental lines, meaning the builder can begin produc- manufacture, yet is con? gured to be versatile, robust lar con? gurations, it can be built with either a center ing the platform immediately once an order is placed, and highly customizable. console or with a cabin, fuel capacity and horsepower working with the customer to sort out the alterable

Designed to operate at speeds up to 55 knots and to can be varied, and the boat lends itself to wide varia- speci? cations based on the fact that these are topside to be especially adept at running alongside other vessels, tions in weight and centers of gravity. Furthermore, the the general arrangement, explained Christ Toller, Met- the end product is a rugged, high-performance boat that RIB’s large open deck allows it to carry a wide range of alCraft project manager.

performs with a wide range of payloads, is ergonomi- equipment or personnel for various jobs, and its seats “There’s a lot of focus on making sure that they keep cally designed around the end user and can operate in can even be con? gured from 12 down to two in a mat- that production timeline down, that the fundamental diverse conditions, particularly in high sea states. The ter of minutes. structures stay the same and consistent, and everything

RIB also boasts broad functionality in terms of trans- “What we were looking for with this particular ves- is built on top of that, giving the customer the chance to portation and trailerability, further adding to its versa- sel was a multifunction high-speed RIB that gave a lot work through the ? ner details,” Toller said.

tility. of versatility, both in terms of the performance of the And while the builder’s average timeline to construct “We’ve spent almost two years developing this craft, boat and in terms of its application,” said Ryan Hunter, one of its ? reboats will generally stretch out over the and we wanted to make sure that when we brought a MetalCraft design manager. course of a year and require much development up boat of this nature into a very competitive arena that MetalCraft counts as part of its competitive advan- front, MetalCraft’s intent for the new RIB is to be able we were brining something different, something above tage its capabilities for system integration, with a team to offer a potentially off-the-shelf boat that is easy to what everybody else already had, and I think we’ve of project managers, engineers and craftsmen able to con? gure based on customers’ needs and objectives.

136 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • NOVEMBER 2015

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