The Association of Maryland Pilots recently took delivery of the Severn, the pilots’ its fifth Chesapeake Class launch built by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation, Somerset, Mass.
It’s the fifth such boat built for the Maryland pilots since 2002, the latest iteration of class that reflects the special needs of the Chesapeake Bay region, said Peter Duclos, the company’s president and director of business development.
“The Maryland Pilots have some unique features and configuration control is essential to be sure their operators can seamlessly operate all the boats in their fleet,” said Duclos. “However, this must be balanced with new equipment and design updates, as well as, in some cases, retrofitting their existing boats. To make this happen over the span of 20 plus years requires a very high level of detail in the design and its execution.”
With a deep-V hull by Ray Hunt Design, the all-aluminum high-speed launch measures 52.6’ x 16.8’ with a 4.8’ draft. Two Volvo Penta D16, EPA Tier 3-certified diesel engines each produce 750 Bhp at 1900 rpm, for a vessel top speed over 27 knots. A Humphree interceptor trim control system, with its Automatic Trim Optimization, is installed at the transom.
The engines turn 5-blade Bruntons NiBrAl propellers via ZF500-1-A gearboxes. A Northern Lights 12 kW genset provides ship’s power.
The vessel’s wheelhouse, with a small trunk, is amidship on a flush deck. With electrically heated, forward-leaning front windows, the wheelhouse is outfitted with five Norsap shock-mitigating reclining seats, a baggage rack, and three weathertight doors.
The forecastle includes a portable toilet, a split upholstered settee/bunk, and a custom storage rack for immersion suits and other safety gear. The vessels’ interior is heated and cooled by two 16,000 Btu reverse-cycle HVAC units, in addition to electric heaters located in the wheelhouse and forecastle.
Outside the wheelhouse, heated decks and handrails prevent ice accumulation. A Harken TR-31 safety rail system was installed on the wheelhouse handrail. An aft wheelhouse ladder leads to hinged boarding platforms on the roof.
A control station at the transom features a hydraulically powered J-Basket rescue system, capable of retrieving a pilot from the water to the main deck in less than 10 seconds with a single operator, said Duclos.
