Fort Ripley: Multi-Missioned & Fully Capable
On a beautiful Autumn afternoon in Charleston, SC last month, MarineNews Editor Joseph Keefe had the good fortune to attend the christening on the nation’s first dual purpose, rapid response vessel and pilot launch. As the first vessel to be designed for offshore salvage and firefighting requirements, it was also notably the first commercial application of Volvo Penta’s IPS drive propulsion. The vessel also represents an interesting twist in the Charleston Branch Pilots’ business model. The pilot game is already a pretty good paying gig, but clearly, this group is thinking outside the box.
Fast Repsonse Boat Sports Innovative Volvo Penta Power
Fort Ripley, a new offshore emergency response craft now entering service in Charleston, S.C., is reported to be the first commercial vessel in North America to be powered by triple Volvo Penta IPS drives. Designed by C. Raymond Hunt Associates, built by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation, and owned by Southeast Ocean Response Services Inc., the USCG-certificated 64-ft. aluminum boat, was commissioned today (October 7, 2014) in a ceremony in Charleston. Fort Ripley’s primary mission is to allow ships to meet federal requirements for rapid offshore firefighting…
EMS Sets Sail with Spirit of Canada
EMS Satcom, a division of EMS Technologies, Inc., announced its sponsorship of Spirit of Canada Ocean Challenges and skipper Derek Hatfield as he sets his sights to win the 2006 5-Oceans global sailboat race. EMS will provide critical hardware and services through its integrated satellite communications systems to connect Derek and his 60-ft. Spirit of Canada to the rest of the world for safety, educational and media relations purposes. “Spirit of Canada is building to win in 2006, and the addition of EMS’s world-class Satcom technology provides us with tremendous advantages in terms of safety and educational outreach,” says Derek Hatfield, managing director, Spirit of Canada Ocean Challenges.
