On April 21, Curtin Maritime, a Long Beach-based marine
construction and tug and barge operator, delivered a repowered and retrofitted
LCM-8, Sea Force, to the Port of Long Beach Harbor Patrol.
Curtin Maritime was awarded a $1.5 million contract for the
design-build project in 2013. The project included the design and fabrication
of a new upper and lower house, Tier III-rated engines and generators plus a
hydraulic system with a hydro crane and four point mooring system.
The Long Beach Harbor Patrol acquired the vessel from the US
Dept. of Defense in 2010, with a goal of converting the boat into a platform
that could support both POLB commercial dive units operations, plus serve as an
emergency response and salvage vessel within the port.
Because there was no existing design that fulfilled all the
requirements, a Request for Proposals with a design build spec was issued by
the port to the local shipyards.
After Curtin Maritime was awarded the contract, it was delivered
the boat and the project got underway.
Work included the demolition of all the old systems, engine
removal and engine room modifications. The old Detroit 12v71 engines were
replaced with a set of new Tier III 13.5L John Deere 6135’s mated to the
existing 5-14 gear boxes.
Also, two new Tier III John Deere MG65 gensets were put in
and mated to dual 66.5-gpm Kawasaki KV3L140 hydraulic pumps. 4 Pull Master
H18’s with rapid reversing and 150KG Flipper Delta anchors made up the 4-point
system and an 8-ton Hydro crane was mounted on the port side.
The boat was also dry docked and completely repainted and
had all new handrails installed. Custom dive ladders were also placed on both
the stern and bow.
During an April 21 unveiling at the refurbished vessel at
the Port of Long Beach, Harbor Commission President Doug Drummond praised the
work performed on the vessel, saying the boat can now play a part in helping
keep the harbor safe during times of trouble.
“It has all of the equipment it would need for any kind of
problem within the port,” he said of the Sea Force. “It helps us in those
unprecedented events that take place, whether it’s an earthquake or some other
kind of disaster.”
