New Hanover County Orders Fire Boat from US Watercraft

Hubert, N.C. shipbuilder US Watercraft said it has been selected by New Hanover County to build a custom 30-foot aluminum fire/rescue vessel. Now under construction, the vessel will be delivered in early 2023.

Located in southeastern North Carolina, the county has 31 miles of shoreline on the mainland and barrier islands, with communities facing both the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean.

In addition to fire-fighting capacity, the aluminum catamaran will feature an hydraulic bow door for deploying a rescue ATV. The vessel can land on the beach to offload the vehicle in areas not easily accessible by road.

At 30’ LOA with a 12’ beam, the vessel will have a forward-leaning walk-around cabin. It will be equipped with twin 300 hp outboards, fire pump, and hydraulic drop-down bow door.