Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Somerset, Mass., delivered the 73' Calcasieu Pilot to the Lake Charles pilots in June, adding a fourth vessel from the shipyard to the Louisiana group’s fleet.
The boat will support pilot transfers between the Cameron, La., jetties and the sea buoy, about 30 miles offshore. The pilots received their first Gladding-Hearn vessel, a 63-footer, in 1995.
Owned by Calcasieu Pilot No. 4 Inc., Lake Charles, La., the all-aluminum vessel is based on the Cameron Pilot II, which Gladding-Hearn delivered in 2019. Its keel was laid in November 2024, and the boat was launched in June.
Designed by Ray Hunt Design, the Calcasieu Pilot has a deep-V hull, a 23.3' beam, and a 5.3' draft. Twin Cummins QSK38-M1 Tier 4 diesel engines, rated at 1,300 bhp each at 1,800 rpm, give the vessel a loaded speed of more than 27 knots.
The engines turn five-blade Bruntons nibral propellers through Twin Disc MGX-6620A gearboxes. Gladding-Hearn fabricated shallow shaft tunnels into the hull to reduce the shaft angle and improve water flow to the propellers.
“Reducing the shaft angles and vessel draft and limiting cavitation damage can extend the life of propellers and improve efficiency,” said Winn Willard of Ray Hunt Design.
Each engine is equipped with a Cummins selective catalytic reduction exhaust after-treatment system. According to the shipyard, the systems reduce nitrogen oxides and particulate emissions by more than 80%.
Other machinery includes twin Kohler 32-kW generators, a two-station Kobelt hydraulic steering system, and Humphree interceptors with automatic trim optimization and active ride control. Helm controls are located in the wheelhouse and at an aft-facing station on the transom.
The aft-of-amidships wheelhouse includes a centerline helm, eight Norsap shock-mitigating seats, a sofa, and baggage storage. The forecastle contains upper and lower berths, an enclosed head, a galley, lockers, and additional storage.
Pilot-transfer features include boarding platforms on both sides of the foredeck, wide side decks, and exterior handrails. The vessel also has a rescue recess built into the transom and a winch-operated J-basket system for recovering pilots from the water.
