Southamptons new patrol boat at Seawork

The newbuilds will replace ABP’s current old Halmatic FRC vessels. Safehaven Marine was awarded the contract to build the two new vessels against stiff competition from other UK and International yards. The first vessel, ‘Spitfire’, was delivered ahead of the Seawork 2009 exhibition in Southampton last month, where it proved a popular attraction on the floating pontoon. The two vessels will be used as patrol boats on Southampton waters and also as pilot boats alongside ABP’s existing Nelson 48/50s. With a primary role to provide 24 hour cover, the vessels are equipped with full live aboard ‘hotel facilities’ and are fitted out to a very high standard, featuring an 8,000btu air conditioning unit, a 6.5kw at 1,500rpm generator providing 240v throughout the vessel and full galley facilities. There is a large, separate head with shower, holding tank and pump out facilities.

A spacious forward accommodation area provides twin bunk berths, a large seating area and table, and a full galley with an abundance of locker storage. A midships cabin provides ten individual full height crew lockers and storage holds for specialized oil spill response equipment the vessel will carry.

The main cabin features a new GRP moulding specially developed to suit the crew’s preference for a port side helm position, designed to encompass the helmsman with all navigational equipment, engine controls and instrumentation easily visible and falling quickly to hand. Behind the helm is a second, larger dedicated navigation position with a large work top, angled instrument console and storage locker which allow the navigator to monitor ship movements with a full paper chart, assisting navigation throughout Southampton’s busy waters. Opposite are two pilot seats for when the vessel is performing pilotage duties.

‘Spitfire’ is powered by Scania D16 engines through Twin Disc V drive ‘Quick Shift’ gearboxes which allow precise fingertip control of the vessel at slow manoeuvring speeds and creep speeds of less than 1 knot for close quarters. The vessel has a 25 knot max speed at a 25,000kg displacement.

One of the vessels’ roles will be the removal of floating flotsam such as trees, pallets and other debris that often finds its way into the channel and becomes a hazard for boat users. To facilitate removal, the boat is fitted with a large stainless steel basket that can be lowered down 400mm below the surface to recover flotsam. The platform doubles as an MOB recovery system. The basket is hydraulically operated via a stainless steel ram and has a 200kg lifting capacity. The aft cockpit area allows the carriage of recovered objects to shore.

The twin chine deep V hull design with full length keel gives the boat a soft ride into head seas, tremendous stability running beam on in big seas with little rolling and great directional stability downwind. It will be fitted with a Safehaven developed ride control Interceptor/trim tab system which lowers running trim to a wave splitting 1.5 degrees for fast head sea work, allowing the boat to punch trough 2m seas at 20 knots.