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New survey craft for PLA
The Port of London Authority, which is responsible for navigational safety and related issues on 150km of the tidal Thames from the sea to Teddington, has commissioned Galloper, a new £ 115,000 catamaran for hydrographic operations. It replaces the PLA’ s ten year old survey boat, Brent, and is now working alongside sister vessels, Verifier and Yantlet.
The 7.9-metre vessel, built by Cheetah Marine on the Isle of Wight, has a maximum speed of 28 knots and is fitted with £200,000 worth of equipment, including state of the art multibeam echosounders. According to David Snelson, the PLA’s Chief Harbour Master, it will allow port surveyors to access parts of the Thames which are otherwise too shallow for larger craft to reach. He adds that it is also readily transportable for survey operations carried out on behalf of other organisations on the south east coast.
Commissioning of Galloper coincides with the PLA’s recently announced 2m investment plan for a fleet of five purpose built catamaran hulled patrol boats, the first of which is due for delivery next spring from Northumbrian builder, Alnmaritec.
