Liverpool-based MST has become one of the major RIB builders in the UK and now offers its widest range of models to meet the requirements of both military and civil operators and all applications in between.
Although the focus of the production is on RIBs, the company has now expanded into pure inflatable products and one of these that will be on display at Seawork will be their inflatable landing craft.
These landing craft have been developed using drop stitch inflatable technology. Drop stitch is an inflatable material with two separate layers that are connected using long stitches in the reinforcement material. This type of fabric allows inflatable products to be produced in flat slabs rather than the normal round sections which opens up a whole new world of design possibilities. The inflatable landing craft exploit the capabilities of this material to the full with an inflatable bow ramp connected to the inflatable bottom and sides of the boat. Being fully inflatable the boat can be stored in a compact space for transport and this type of boat has both civil and military applications. In the civil world it opens up the possibility of having a harbour or beach launched boat that can be taken to site without the need for a trailer.
Alongside their landing craft will be one of the MST basic range of RIBs, their Seaboat range. Designed as both a standalone operating RIB or as a boat that can be launched and recovered from a mother ship, the Seaboat range extends to 10 metres in length and can be powered by outboards or inboard diesels with provision made for a fully integrated single point lifting attachment.
Illustrating the breadth of the MST range, the yard is currently building a 13 metre RIB with a fully enclosed wheelhouse that will be used as a fisheries enforcement vessel by the Welsh Government. Recently delivered from the yard has been a 7.5 metre RIB that will be operated by the police force in the local MST area in Liverpool.
A fascinating application of RIB technology is the submersible RIBs from the MST Special products Division. These are designed for military stealth applications and the technology allows the craft to be operated underwater as well as at planing speeds on the surface. A series of these craft are currently under construction at the yard.
In addition to building a wide range of RIB designs up to 15 metres in length. MST offers a range of specialised services. These include training in specialised areas such as aircraft rescue and self-righting as well as more general training services. Spare parts are carried for all of their models with quick despatch and they operate fully owned subsidiaries or partnerships in 21 countries to offer a rapid response to enquiries.
Visit Marine Specialised Technology Ltd at Seawork International 2017 on stand Q13.
By Dag Pike
