Delta Launch Services LLC, Metairie, La., has ordered two new pilot boats from Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corp., Somerset, Mass., for scheduled delivery in 2027.
The custom, all-aluminum launches — each measuring 44.3’ overall, with a beam of 13.10’, a shoal draft of 2.5’, and a Ray Hunt Design deep-V hull — will be the first of Gladding-Hearn's new Venice class vessels.
According to the builder, the Venice-class design is based on its Resilient-class of fast and highly maneuverable launches and optimized for performing launch services on the Mississippi River.
“The lower Mississippi can be a harsh operating environment. The silty water is abrasive, with a lot of debris and ship wakes. Ship boardings are done at transit speed in a narrow channel with no opportunity to make a lee,” said Peter Duclos, president of Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding. "This will be a simple, robust launch propelled by waterjets and with a stable platform like our offshore pilot boats.”
The boats will be powered by twin Caterpillar C-9.3 EPA Tier 3-compliant diesel engines, each delivering 476 Bhp at 2,300 rpm and a top speed of 34 knots. The engines will be connected to Twin Disc gearboxes and propelled by twin HamiltonJet HTX-30 waterjets. An interceptor trim control system will be installed at the transom.
The wheelhouse will be flush-mounted aft of amidships and outfitted with five Norsap shock-mitigating seats. The laminated forward-facing wheelhouse windows are electrically heated and equipped with retractable sunshades. A roof-mounted, 15,000-btu air conditioning unit will cool the wheelhouse while at the dock. Two engine-driven 24,000-btu units will cool and heat the wheelhouse while underway.
Outside the wheelhouse, the boats will each feature wide side decks, a rear door, and a ladder to the rooftop, where there are walkway handrails and hinged boarding platforms. Tire fenders will be fastened to the vessel’s shear and transom.
The two new launches follow six larger pilot boats built by the shipyard for the Delta Launch Services.
