French pilot boat for West Africa
The French shipyard Alumarine builds a wide variety of work and patrol boats and it noted for its innovative designs that range from passenger vessels to lifeboats to harbour workboats.
All of these craft have one thing in common, as the name of the yard implies, they are all built from aluminium and Alumarine has become a specialist in using this material. The latest craft to emerge from the yard is a 15 metre pilot boat that is destined for operation at a port in West Africa.
Important criteria that the yard had to consider in developing this design were that it had to be robust and economical to operate and maintain and it had to be suitable for operating in a tropical environment. The AMS1500 design is based on a moderate vee hull combined with a vertical bow which has been proven in previous crew boat designs. The twin propellers are partially protected with short skegs enclosing the propeller shafts.
Heavy duty coated foam fendering is fitted for hull protection and on the foredeck there are pilot boarding rails and ladders on both sides. The large wheelhouse has reverse angle windows combined with angled side windows for a view upwards when alongside. Inside the wheelhouse there is seating for 9 people which comprises the three man crew and 6 passengers (pilots). The whole wheelhouse is flexibly mounted in order to reduce both vibration and noise and these are also further reduced by having the engines located right aft away from the wheelhouse. Simrad electronic navigation units including a radar are installed. A man-overboard recovery unit is fitted at the transom.
The power comes from a pair of Cummins QSM11 diesels, each of which produces 455hp. These are coupled to the propeller shafts through a vee drive gearbox, a system that ensures the engines can be aft mounted but still easily accessible for maintenance. This machinery gives the boat a top speed of 23 knots at middle loading and a service speed of 20 knots. The 11 litre capacity engines are rated so that they can have 3000 hours of operation before servicing is required. The 2200 litre fuel tank capacity gives this pilot boat an extended range.
Alumarine claims that their hull design offers exceptional seaworthiness and manoeuvrability aided by the twin rudders. Aluminium construction is claimed to be ideal for craft operating in tropical environments.
The shipyard is currently building a new design of lifeboat for the French lifeboat service and amongst other innovative designs built by the yard has been a compact push tug for handling dredging barges and a very advanced passenger tourist boat design.
By Dag Pike
