The Rochester boat, another M2-38 cat, is slated for delivery in fall 2020, and will also have Cummins diesels, HamiltonJet waterjets and a fire-pump system flowing in excess of 1,500 gpm. Cockpit mounted monitors and a hose discharge portal for connection to fire trucks will allow firefighting from water and land. The larger M1-46 fire-rescue catamaran that Moose is building for use in Chesapeake Bay will have bigger engines and more powerful pumps. Twin Cummins 600-hp diesels coupled with waterjets will provide the power and a Hale fire pump will push water out of TFT monitors at 2,500 gpm. It will also have a large volume discharge for supplying water to land-based fire apparatus. Delivery is set for January 2020. MetalCraft, which is currently building its 112th fireboat, has a thriving business in small and medium-size fireboats. But the company is most excited about two innovative vessels, both bound for Kuwait. The first, a FireStorm 50, now aboard a ship headed to the Kuwait Fire Service Directorate, is the first fireboat in the world built with Marine Jet Power (MJP) 310X jets, according to MetalCraft. “We saw unbelievable results during sea trials,” said Bob Clark, the company’s contracts manager. “We got
MetalCraft Marine
Fireboats
A FireStorm 50, now aboard a ship headed to the Kuwait Fire Service Directorate, is the first fireboat in the world built with Marine Jet Power (MJP) 310X jets.
four knots more speed with those jets,” bringing the top speed to 44.5 knots. Two other boats with MJP jets are now on order, Clark said. Kuwait’s 50'×15.6' aluminum boat has twin Volvo Penta D13 1,000-hp engines, Raymarine electronics and Darley fire pumps capable of producing 7,500 gpm at 150 psi through Elkhart Brass monitors on the bow and cabin top. MetalCraft will begin production this fall on a new FireCat 80 for Kuwait that will use “groundbreaking design technology and be the first fireboat of its kind in the world,” according to Clark. The company partnered with the UK’s Walker Design to acquire rights to use its proven North Sea hull design. The semi-displacement hull will have a speed of 27 knots and the ability to
pump 11,000 gpm from two telescopic towers up to 45' above the water. “No other fireboat has towers this tall,” Clark said. MetalCraft is working with Norway’s Jason Engineering on the design of the towers and all firefighting equipment. The 83'×25.6' catamaran will be powered by MTU 2,000-hp engines paired with MJP DB 500 jets. MetalCraft is aiming for a December 2020 or early 2021 delivery. Metal Shark, Jeanerette, La., is building a 50 Defiant X fireboat to replace an older vessel operated by the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department. The 50'×15' vessel will be powered by twin inboard diesels mated to a pair of waterjets. Top speed is expected to be 45 knots.
YOUR MISSION IS OUR MISSION.
When it comes to your next patrol boat, Lake Assault is mission ready. We have a proven track record building custom patrol boats, fire/rescue craft, airboats, and more — for customers who keep coming back. Built at the Fraser Shipyards on the shores of Lake Superior, our boats are designed and created to meet your needs — with whatever capabilities are required to complete your mission. © 2019 Lake Assault Boats, LLC
22
LAKEASSAULT.COM 715-395-2255
www.workboat.com • OCTOBER 2019 • WorkBoat