VESSEL REPORT Patrol Boats
North River Boats 30-footer patrols Puget Sound for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
On Guard By Michael Crowley, Correspondent
N
orth River Boats, Roseburg, Ore., delivered a 30'×10' patrol boat to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) last August. It mainly works the waters of Puget Sound with a two-man crew. “We are one of the largest suppliers for Washington Fish and Wildlife,” said Mike Blocher, director of sales for North River Boats. “Depending on the area and the operator, they will choose the platform that works best for them.” Thus the 30-footer is operating in the relatively protected waters of Puget Sound, whereas a larger 38-footer that North River will deliver soon to the WDFW will work offshore. The 30-footer is powered with twin 300-hp Yamaha 4.2L four-stroke outboards that propel the patrol boat to 50 mph. The outboards are controlled with Yamaha Helm Master joystick controls. At full throttle or when idling, the crew operates from within a walk-around pilothouse that features All Salt Maritime’s Shoxs 6300 shock-mitigating seats. Inside the wheelhouse is a dinette with a small galley and a bathroom. An Imtra Sleipner (Side-Power) bowthruster helps when 16
maneuvering in tight quarters or sidling up to larger vessels. Going against larger boats explains the bumpers on the side of the hull instead of a foam or rubber collar. For rescue work there’s a davit on the back deck, as well as a ladder leading from the water over the transom.
METALCRAFT
MetalCraft Marine is currently building three patrol boats and recently delivered three others. Two of the three boats under construction will go to Lake Erie for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (DNR), while the third will patrol out of Corpus Christi, Texas, for the Port of Corpus Christi Police. The three recently delivered boats went to Pensacola, Fla., and the Coast Guard in mid-February. The Coast Guard boats are all Interceptor seven-meter (22'6"×8'3") RIBs with Wing foam collars, which “is the most popular size worldwide with navies, coast guards,” said Bob Clark, MetalCraft Marine’s contract manager. The company will deliver 15 more boats to the Coast Guard this year. Some are going to Alaska and some to California and Washington. Another 18 will be built in 2023 and 15 in 2024. Designated cutter-boat-large, the boats will be carried aboard www.workboat.com • APRIL 2022 • WorkBoat
MetalCraft Marine
A look at new patrol boats for Washington, Ohio and Texas.
