All American Marine Inc. (AAM), Bellingham, Wash., was recently awarded a contract from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) for a 74'x27.5' catamaran patrol vessel. The aluminum catamaran will patrol California state coastal waters and international waters for the CDFW. The twin engine, fixed propeller patrol vessel will be built to Coast Guard standards.
The hydrofoil assisted vessel from Teknicraft Design, Auckland, New Zealand, will combine innovative design features critical to modern maritime law enforcement and is based on the AAM-built Captain Murchison, built for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. A big feature included in the vessel is Teknicraft ’s Rapid RHIB launching and retrieval system. This feature, integrated into the stern of the vessel, will increase safety, and reduce the time and manpower required to deploy the vessels’ rigid hull inflatable boat, AM said. It will allow for deployment and retrieval in under one minute.
Additional vessel features include a complete advanced electronics package which contains a Flir M400 XR High resolution thermal imaging video with tracking to assist with patrol duties along coastal California.
“We are excited to announce another contract for this innovative build at AAM,” Ron Wille, president and COO of All American Marine, said in a statement. “Our key mission is to build the most technologically advanced vessels in the world, and we have already started working on this state-of-the-art patrol vessel."
The mission of the CDFW is to manage California's diverse fish, wildlife, and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend, for their ecological values and use and enjoyment by the public. The mission of the law enforcement division of the CDFW is to protect California natural resources and provide public safety through effective and responsive law enforcement.
The semi-displacement catamaran hull for this vessel was developed by Nic de Waal of Teknicraft. The design integrates a Teknicraft hull shape and is complemented by Teknicraft’s signature integration of a wave piercer that is positioned between the catamaran sponsons to break up wave action and ensure reduced drag while conducting research missions.
For the operator, one of the most valuable features of this vessel is the excellent fuel economy. With a 2,000-gal. total capacity, long-range performance was critical to the design process of this vessel.
