By Mark Edward Nero
The first of two large fireboats designed by Canadian naval architectural firm Robert Allan Ltd. and built at Foss Maritime’s Seattle shipyard has been delivered to the Port of Long Beach, Robert Allan Ltd. revealed Aug. 16.
The first RAnger V-3300 fireboat, Protector, went into service in June of 2016; the second vessel, Vigilance, is expected in mid-2017.
Robert Allan Ltd., which specializes in designing high-performance response vessels, particularly large fireboats for major ports worldwide, was awarded the contract to prepare plans and specifications for a pair of fireboats for the Port of Long Beach in the summer of 2011.
Long Beach’s two new fireboats feature Voith cycloidal drives in a tractor configuration, giving the vessels exceptional maneuverability and the ability to fight fires in any orientation.
During the design phase, Robert Allan Ltd. said, it optimized the hull form, ensuring the vessel meet two important criteria: minimum wake when traveling both ahead and astern at eight knots and good heavy weather seakeeping ability.
“High speed was not a priority for this project; low wake and good seakeeping were deemed to be of greater importance,” the company said in a statement.
The total aggregate pumping capacity of each vessel is 41,000 gallons per minute, with the single largest monitor capable of delivering 12,000 gpm a distance of almost 600 feet. The vessels are also capable of providing over 30,000 gpm of water shore-side through four-inch hoses to support land-based firefighting operations.
The new fireboats are equipped with specialized HVAC filters, a decontamination shower, and chemical detectors, as well as a Command Information Center that enables them to perform on-scene command duties and communicate with other agencies.
The design of the vessels, according to the builder, was heavily influenced by fireboat Warner L. Lawrence – a 2001 Robert Allan Ltd. design that’s homeported at the Port of Los Angeles.
