The Oceanside, Calif., Police Department has contracted with Willard Marine, Inc., Anaheim, Calif., to build an updated version of the Crystaliner 33, a well-known West Coast design long used by fire, police and rescue agencies.
The 33’4”x10’8” Crystaliner has a fiberglass hull, and the Oceanside boat will be powered by twin Yanmar 8LV-350 inboard diesels, for a cruising speed of 27 knots. For firefighting it will be equipped with a Darley PSDE 125 single stage centrifugal fire pump, capable of moving over 1,250 gallons per minute at 150 psi.
This will be the first Crystaliner to be built by Willard since it acquired license and manufacture rights in 2014 from the Crystaliner Corporation, two years after the Costa Mesa, Calif., company closed its doors.
For almost 60 years Crystaliner, founded in 1956 by John Norek, built boats that became especially popular with lifeguard, harbor patrol and rescue units, with an estimated 100 boats delivered. Among the company’s claims to fame were building the Navy’s first 16’ fiberglass lifeboat, and a 27’ prototype that beat boats from established builders to win the 1959 Miami-Nassau race cup.
Oceanside police themselves patrol off San Diego, Oceanside and parts of Orange County using three Crystaliner vessels that have been in service 15 to 30 years. The Crystaliner design is a good platform for marine rescues including vessel towing and dewatering, and for firefighting, harbor patrol and diving, said Lt. Karen Laser, who manages the Oceanside police harbor unit.
“We are excited Willard Marine is reviving these designs, as their performance abilities are best suited for the variety of functions our marine community expects of us in our area of responsibility,” Laser said.
“Crystaliner has been a staple of the law enforcement and surf and rescue departments along the Pacific coast for decades,” said Ulrich Gottschling, Willard’s president and CEO. “We are proud to offer the classic design and finish of a Crystaliner that many first responders are so passionate about while re-engineering them to perform reliably in the rigorous and demanding missions of today’s law enforcement professionals.”
