Delta Launch Services, a launch company operating on the Mississippi River, ordered a pair of new class of pilot boats from Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation. The Venice Classlaunches follow a long history of six larger pilot boats built for the Delta Launch Services by the Somerset, Mass., shipyard. Delivery is scheduled for 2027.
The custom 44-footer is based on the shipyard’s Resilient class; the design is optimized for performing launch services on the Mississippi River. “The lower Mississippi can be a harsh operating environment. The silty water is abrasive, with a lot of debris and ship wakes. Ship boardings are done at transit speed in a narrow channel with no opportunity to make a lee. This will be a simple, robust launch propelled by water jets and with a stable platform like our offshore pilot boats,” said Peter Duclos, President, Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding.
The new launch measures 44.3-ft. overall, with a beam of 13.1-ft. and a shoal draft of 2.5-ft. The all-aluminum Ray Hunt Design Deep-V hullwill be powered by twin CaterpillarC-9.3 EPA Tier 3-compliant diesel engines, each delivering 476 Bhp at 2,300 rpm and a top speed of 34 knots. The engines will be connected to Twin Disc gearboxes and propelled by twin Hamilton HTX-30 waterjets. An interceptor trim control system will be installed at the transom.
The wheelhouse will be flush-mounted aft of amidships and outfitted with five Norsapshock-mitigating seats. The laminated forward-facing wheelhouse windows are electrically heated and equipped with retractable sunshades. A roof-mounted, 15,000 btu air conditioning unit will cool the wheelhouse while at the dock. Two engine-driven 24,000 btu units will cool and heat the wheelhouse while underway.
