Barrus Brings Engine Extravaganza to Seawork

The company’s vast display of engines is a familiar Seawork sight and placements on commercial workboats continue apace.

One recent example is a Yanmar engine package that was chosen for the latest Humber RIB. ‘Lakefast’, built by Humber Inflatables and rigged by Quinquari Marine, is an 11m commercial offshore wide RIB fitted with twin Yanmar 315hp engines and two MerCruiser Bravo 2 sterndrives. ‘Lakefast’ was built for John Lake Marine Hire in Kings Lynn, Norfolk, a company that specialises in the hire of rigid inflatables and work boats. Capable of providing around 40 knots, the ‘Lakefast’ is suitable for charter, security, diving, photography, media and event support and a host of specialist applications as well as being deployed as a fully crewed workboat.

Power and precise manoeuvrability were just two of the requirements demanded by Quest Underwater Services for two of their vessels. Quest’s main focus is civil engineering, repairing quays and jetties. But government bodies, oil companies and other major organisations also call upon the company for their skill with explosives, whether placing new ones or finding and disposing of old ones.

‘Shoreline Engineer’, a unique steel catamaran powered by twin John Deere 6081A, 375hp engines, has been designed for marine construction applications as well as dive support, towing, salvage, hydrographic surveying, marine drilling and personnel transfer. The 18.3m by 8.5m craft cruises comfortably at 9 knots and offers the precise manoeuvrability that many of its jobs call for.

Another Quest vessel, the ex-MoD landing craft, ‘Quest One’, is ideal for diving. It was acquired without engines so Quest installed twin 225hp John Deere 6068Ts supplied by EP Barrus. Explaining his engine choice, Quest’s managing director Hugh Wiltshire said, ‘Coming from a dependable supplier with a good track record, John Deere engines were the obvious choice. Over the past 25 years we’ve established a close relationship with Barrus.’

Quest are currently looking at a new range of multi-purpose boats for use at the 2012 Olympics Sailing venue at Portland that will again be fitted with John Deere engines.

One of the first Yanmar BY engine installations is powering a new sports/fishing boat built by Kingfisher Boats of Falmouth. Kingfisher’s displacement hulls are largely used for fishing but they also customise their basic range to meet a variety of other uses such as patrol boats, inshore workboats, diving, and hydrographic survey.

The Kingfisher Sport Explorer 35, which will be on the Seawork floating pontoon in front of the Barrus stand, is fitted with the new Yanmar 6BY 260hp stern drive engine. The boat is based on the tried and tested Fastcatch hull that has proved to be an exceptional sea boat. Kingfisher are always striving to improve upon their range and their choice of Yanmar engine for the Sport Explorer is the first time that the company has specified Yanmar engines.

‘We chose the new Yanmar engine as it was ideally suited to this type of boat, offering a lightweight and compact option,’ said Ron Coote, owner of Kingfisher Boats.

The new generation Yanmar BY engine series was developed in conjunction with luxury car manufacturer BMW and will be on show at Seawork.