SAFE Boats Wins Contract to Co-Produce Columbian Military Vessels

By Mark Edward Nero

Bremerton, Washington-based SAFE Boats International said March 15 that it has broadened a previously signed contract with Columbian government shipyard COTECMAR into a multi-year, definitive association agreement.

The agreement encompasses a wide range of collaboration, including program management, training, factory production training and sub-assembly and integration by COTECMAR in Colombia.

The contract includes co-production of SAFE Boats models already in use in Central and South America, such as the Defender, Apostle and Full Cabin Jet Boats, along with its most recently introduced Multi-Mission Interceptor vessel.

“The decision to further enhance our relationship with COTECMAR is evidence of our commitment to the Colombian Navy and providing the brave men and women who serve in Colombia with the best products and services to allow them to effectively accomplish their challenging missions,” SAFE Boats CEO Dennis Morris said in a prepared statement. “We are honored to be a partner with COTECMAR and Colombia, and to support our mutual customers in Central and South America.”

COTECMAR, created by the Colombian government in 2000, has experience delivering large ships and marine services to both Colombian and International users, and is a manufacturer of large Offshore Patrol Vessels, Coastal Patrol Vessels, Defense craft, BAL-C Logistics and Humanitarian Craft along with many other commercial and riverine vessels produced for the Colombian Navy, Marines and Coast Guard along with training and other services.

“We are confident that this relationship with SAFE Boats allows us to continue to provide lasting and successful naval solutions,” COTECMAR CEO Vice Admiral Jorge Carreño said in a statement.

SAFE Boats Delivers 2000th Craft

By Mark Edward Nero

Bremerton, Washington-based aluminum boats manufacturer SAFE Boats International has completed the first Coastal Interceptor Vessel (CIV) on contract from US Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations division.

A ceremony was held at SAFE Boats facilities on May 26 to name the vessel the Alexandria, as well as celebrate the vessel as SBI’s 2000th delivered craft. Attendees included Customs officials, Congressional staff members, local government officials and business people, and equipment suppliers.

The CIV is a 41-foot rugged, highly maneuverable vessel, capable of high-speed interceptions in close proximity to other vessels as well as open ocean speeds at well over 54 knots. It can be configured for a number of mission operations including pursuing suspect vessels for the purpose of boarding, searching, and when necessary, arresting violators and seizing the suspect vessel and contraband.

The vessel is a variant of the SAFE 41 Interceptor, a design currently in service with the Royal Bahamian Police, Royal Gibraltar Defense Forces, Colombian Navy and a number of private owners.

Following the acceptance of this first vessel, Air and Marine Operations said it intends to acquire up to 52 of the new CIVs to meet emerging Department of Homeland Security mission requirements. The contract, should all options be executed, is valued at over $48 million.

“SAFE Boats is honored to be delivering our milestone 2000th hull as the first Coastal Interceptor Vessel to US Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations,” company President and CEO Dennis Morris said in a statement. “This is the next phase in a longstanding relationship we have with CBP dating back to 2002, and we are optimistic that other international defense agencies will be interested in the vessel for similar mission requirements.”

SAFE Boats Awarded Interceptor Vessel Contract

By Mark Edward Nero

Bremerton, Washington-based high performance aluminum boat builder SAFE Boats International has been selected by the Colombian Navy/Coast Guard to build its new Type-F Riverine Interceptor Vessel.

Under the contract, SAFE Boats will provide the Colombian Navy/Coast Guard with a state-of-the-art, shallow draft, aluminum high speed intercept vessel designed to provide tactical mobility and support in opposed riverine and littoral environments.

The vessel will perform missions of offensive patrolling, combat drug trafficking, piracy, arms and explosives smuggling and conduct vessel-to-vessel boarding operations to insure the security of commercial shipping lines within Colombia.

The SAFE Boats design has twin Yamaha outboard engines, a tropical climate retractable canopy, forward and aft machine gun mount foundations and a 10 person seating capacity, including shock mitigating seats by SHOXS for five crew members.

The Type-F Riverine Interceptor is air deployable by fixed wing, rotary wing and commercial mover. It’s built with a maximum speed of 37-plus knots and 200-nautical mile range, and has capabilities in austere shallow water environments.

“The Colombian Coast Guard currently has over 20 SAFE Boats in service,” revealed John Hotz, SAFE’s director of sales for Latin America and the Caribbean. “We have worked very close with the Colombian military to understand just how aggressive and remote their missions can be and to develop a boat that will significantly enhance their patrol and interdiction capabilities on the large rivers of Colombia.”

Port of Tacoma Honors Summit Award Winners

The Port of Tacoma recently recognized its relationships with customers and tenants by honoring four of them with the second annual Summit Awards for their contributions to port business and the Pierce County community.

The awards were presented May 23 at the port’s annual breakfast. Award recipients included port tenant Targa Sound Terminal for Livable Community, Trident Seafoods for Environmental Stewardship and Washington United Terminals for Business Magnet.

“We are so proud of the port’s many customers and tenants who understand that business, environmental stewardship and livable communities go hand in hand,” Commission President Don Meyer said at the event.

In 2012, Washington United Terminals attracted the business of the Grand Alliance – Hapag-Lloyd, OOCL and NYK Line and associated carrier ZIM, as well as Hamburg Sud. The additional business has generated more than 1,000 direct new family-wage jobs and increased economic activity in the community, according to the port. Increases have been notable in trucking, distribution and third-party supply chain services.

The terminal also has increased rail volume by about 50,000 lifts, which helped support greater rail efficiency and intermodal yard use for all rail users in the port industrial area. To support this increased business, Washington United Terminals invested more than $20 million in new and upgraded equipment.

Additionally, the selection committee honored SAFE Boats with a special Business Investment award. When SAFE Boats received a contract to build large patrol boats for the US Navy, the company invested its own money to upgrade the Earley Business Center, a facility that was the site of naval shipbuilding during World War II.

SAFE Boats investments in the property included re-siding part of the building, installing gas service and heating for the warehouse, repairing fencing, installing new rolling doors large enough to accommodate the finished boats and installing new energy-efficient lighting.

The renovations have resulted in 60 new jobs in Tacoma according to the port, and also provided new business for other tenants in the Earley Business Center, including Citadel Marine Center, as well as local marine suppliers, service providers and skilled fabricators.

The award recipients were selected by a panel of community and business leaders led by Commission President Meyer. The panel included Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland and Debbie Fischer of the Customs Brokers & International Freight Forwarders Association of Washington State.

More information about the Summit Awards is available at www.portoftacoma.com/summits.