Patrol Boat Re-Think for Canadian Coast Guard

A series of the new 14.6m LOA boats is being built by ABCO Marine Group of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, a yard which specialises in building aluminium hulled craft. The new vessels will control commercially important lobster fishing along Canada’s east coast but will also be used for search and rescue and general law enforcement.

The second of five boats, the Geliget, has recently entered into service, powered by twin Volvo Penta D12 engines each producing 650hp at 2,300rpm. Twin UltraJet 376 jet drives propel the boat via ZF325 transmissions. The waterjet drives ensure high performance with excellent manoeuvrability while also reducing the risk of damage to fishing equipment while patrolling.

The Canadian Coast Guard has been operating the D12’s predecessor, the TAMD 122 EDC, in its patrol boats but the D12 will now be placed in all newbuildings. The design specification top speed of 30 knots fully loaded has been achieved despite an additional 2.5 tonnes of equipment being added to Geliget during its build, taking displacement to 24 tonnes. Fuel tanks which hold 2,200 litres give the boat a range of more than 500 nautical miles. The ABCO shipyard was happy with a simple and straightforward engine installation. The EDC totally electronic control system does not require any mechanical control cables, being based on electrical cables and plug-in contacts.

This order from the demanding Canadian Coast Guard is strategically significant for Volvo Penta because local fishing boat operators tend to take notice of what the Coast Guard chooses to power its fleet. It could also be a reference order for the US Coast Guard, which has similar operations across the border.

MJ Information No: 18300