Kvichak Marine recently delivered the Georgia, a 75 x 21 ft. all-aluminum pilot boat, to the SPA, of Savannah, Georgia. Powered by twin Cummins KTA-38 M2 engines rated for 1350 BHP each and Hamilton 651 waterjets as the propulsors, the chosen combination provides for excellent maneuverability and a top speed of ~28 knots.
To date, the Georgia is the largest Camarc-designed and Kvichak-built pilot boat operating for U.S. Pilot Associations. The boat is larger, with three comfortable staterooms aft and will provide unsurpassed safety and ride in all conditions. "The Georgia is absolutely in a class by herself," said Keith Whittemore, Kvichak's V.P. "To borrow shamelessly from our competitors, Gladding Hearn, we often refer to the new Georgia as the first Savannah Class pilot boat."
The Georgia, will serve pilots boarding and disembarking at the entrance to the Savannah River and will operate in the twelve mile area between the pilot station and two miles east of the sea buoy. With the possibility of a harbor improvement plan, the distance could increase five miles. Completed on scheduled in August 2004 the new boat is being delivered to the east coast in September by one of the semi-submersible vessels of the Dockwise yacht delivery service that operates on schedule between Vancouver BC and Florida. The Georgia is the seventh pilot boat Carmac, Kvichak and Derector Shipyards, of New York have partnered on to design and built for U.S. pilot associations. She joins a growing number of North American pilot vessels that are choosing the reliability of Cummins power.
Kvichak will also deliver two 50 ft. RHIB's to the Brunswick Bar Pilots' Association (BBPA) in late November. Both vessels will embark and disembark pilots, providing service to all ocean-going vessels calling on the Port of Brunswick, GA. Each vessel, powered by twin Lugger L6140AL2 engines and Hamilton 362 waterjets, has a top speed of ~34 knots.
The BBPA visited boat builders across the U.S. prior to selecting Kvichak as their builder. "We conducted an exhaustive search and determined Kvichak could deliver the best product for our needs at a fair price," said BBPA's Bruce Fendig.