Brunswick Commercial & Government Products, Edgewater, Fla., and Metal Shark Aluminum Boats, Jeanerette, La., both had multiple boats on display at December’s International WorkBoat Show in New Orleans. The two companies were located side by side, so visitors got a chance to climb around a bunch of boats all in one spot.
Brunswick had three boats on display at this year’s show, including an Impact 650 RIB with Wing inflatable collars. The 21'×8'8" boat is powered by a single 170-hp Volvo Penta diesel outdrive and was built to tow oil booms for the Marine Spill Response Corporation. BCGP also had a Boston Whaler 32' Justice law-enforcement boat on display with twin 300-hp Mercury Verado outboards and a 12-meter Impact RIB (40'×12') with quad 300-hp Mercury Verados that push the offshore interdiction boat to 65 knots. “The new 1000, 1100 and 1200 Impact models all feature about 30 percent more deck space than the previous models,” said Jeremy Davis, BCGP’s director of sales. “And with increased lateral stability, users also have the option for quad outboards for faster response times.”
One of the two boats on display by Metal Shark was a 29 Defiant that’s based on the Louisiana boatbuilder’s Response Boat-Small design for the Coast Guard. The 29'×8'6" aluminum patrol boat has a smaller cabin than the RB-S and a larger cockpit.
Power for this boat, which Metal Shark will take on the road as a demonstrator, is provided by the newest generation of Evinrude E-Tec outboard engines. The twin 300-hp Evinrudes push the 29 Defiant to speeds in the mid-60s (mph).
— B. Buls
