Designed by Breaux’s Bay Craft and C. Fly Marine Services, the Spindletop has two boarding platforms on the bow, port and starboard, and two overhead on the pilothouse, port and starboard. Rescue assist equipment includes a SeaLift custom-built rescue platform on the transom with a 24V hydraulic unit and a transom jib pole with a 120V electric winch. The rubber bumper system is a combination of D Bumpers and aircraft tires around the perimeter.
Power is provided by a quartet of Scania DI16-82-M diesel engines, each capable of producing 800 hp (596 kW) at 2,100 rpm. The engines are connected to four HamiltonJet HM461 propulsion units via an equal number of Twin Disc MGX-5146 gearboxes. This configuration enables Spindletop to reach speeds of up to 30.6 knots, though a regular running speed of 27 knots will be the norm for its daily operations.
The installation of Humphree HA-1100 interceptors with active ride plus stability coupled with the optimized hull design means that the boat can easily manage wave heights of up to four feet (1.2 metres) even when sailing regularly at high operating speeds in excess of 20 knots. A HamiltonJet manoeuvring system enables precise sailing via joystick even in restricted waters, such as those found in inner port areas.
Spindletop‘s size also enables it to accommodate ample liveaboard spaces not typically found on other pilot boats. These include two staterooms with double bunks, a toilet and shower with fresh-water flush, and a seating area separate from that in the pilothouse.
Spindletop is the fifth pilot boat to be built by Breaux’s for the Sabine Pilots Service. It has already begun serving the Texas ports of Port Arthur and Orange in Orange County and Beaumont in Jefferson County. Its area of operations also includes portions of the Gulf of Mexico.
According to bairdmaritime.com; workboat.com. Source of photo: internet
