Ireland’s Safehaven Marine has launched a new Interceptor 48 pilot boat ‘Pilot 1’ for the Gdynia Pilots in Poland.

This is Safehaven’s 44th Pilot vessel delivered to ports worldwide. Safehaven’s Pilot 48 has proved to be a superb sea boat performing admirably in pilotage operations with all owners extolling its virtues of seakeeping, strength and stability. Pilot 1 is powered by a pair of Volvo D13 engines and has a 24.5kts operational speed. She has been specially fitted out for cold climate operations, as the Northern Baltic ports of Poland can experience quite extreme sub-zero temperatures in winter. As such, her hull has been strengthened at the waterline with Kevlar to allow her to operate in light icing conditions. She incorporates a diesel fired heating system which supplies hot water to her external railings to prevent icing, as well as to all internal compartments which are fully insulated and incorporate heated windows and engine block heaters.

As at times part of her duties means her crew may have to remain aboard for extended periods she has full live aboard facilities in her forward cabin, as well as being fully climate controlled with 220v AC air conditioning. She accommodates seven pilots and crew comfortably in her main cabin which features a central helm position providing excellent visibility and control of the craft during boarding operations and incorporates Safehaven’s proven sacrificial boarding impact fender and MOB recovery system on her transom. She is due to be delivered to Gdynia later this month as soon as Covid-19 travel restrictions are lifted.

Safehaven currently has pilot boats in construction for La Coruna in Spain, Montevideo in Uruguay and Tangier, Morocco as well as a Search and Rescue Interceptor 48 SAR for the Faroe Islands Rescue Service.