Mustang corrals another Chinese duo

Pilot Boat 1

was delivered by a Mustang Marine crew to Antwerp in February 2007, where it was loaded on board a specialist ship bound for China. A Mustang team met the boat when it arrived at Tianjin Port to supervise the discharge, conduct further trails, and train the local crew. Such care and attention by Mustang, not to mention a good boat, must have impressed Tianjin Port managers because in August of this year, a week before the start of the Olympics, Mustang’s Kevin Lewis and Ian Strugnell were in China again, completing negotiations for this latest order.

The keel for the first of these two Camarc designed craft was laid last month in Mustang Marine’s brand new 34m long by 40m wide building shed at Pembroke Dock, with the second due to follow shortly. The two boats are scheduled for completion in November 2009 and May 2010.

Presumably to be called Pilot Boat 2 and Pilot Boat 3, the newbuilds will be much like Pilot Boat 1. One notable difference is that Caterpillar 3412E marine diesel engines were no longer available so the new craft will each be fitted with a pair of Caterpillar C32 DTTA powerplants instead, each rated at 1,100 bhp. Driving through ZF2050 gearboxes, they will propel the craft to speeds of 23 knots.

These fast pilot cutters, with the wheelhouse amidships and the pilot boarding station forward, will again have hulls built in all welded steel construction and superstructures in aluminium to meet China Classification Society Rules for The Construction and Classification of Coastal Boats 2005 Coastal Service Restriction.

The craft have a high level of outfit with panelling in ‘Alucore’, a lightweight aluminium honeycomb material bonded between aluminium sheet. Below deck there are berths in a forward cabin and, moving aft, a galley and a crew area in the main cabin. The wheelhouse has a central helm position with KAB supplied crew and pilot seats forward whilst aft is a small table, seating, galley and WC. All areas are air conditioned.