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Mission Critical: Texas Patrol Boat Protects Maritime Border
As it protects the southern Texas border, a new, state-of-the-art Cat® powered patrol boat tackles a wide variety of specialized missions for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Law Enforcement Division.
In addition to inland waters, the Texas game wardens also patrol maritime borders, both state and federal, out to 200 miles.
Designed by one of the world’s top naval architects, Nic de Waal of Teknicraft Design in Auckland, New Zealand, and built by industry-leading All American Marine in Bellingham, Wash., the revolutionary new Captain Murchison patrol boat possesses remarkable capabilities.
“Our key mission is to make sure the Texas maritime border is safe,” says Cody Jones, assistant commander for TPWD. “There’s not an off-the-shelf vessel available that meets the daily needs of law enforcement, particularly for long-range vessels."
“All American listened to us, understood our mission, and in conjunction with Teknicraft, designed and built a vessel with all the versatility we need to be successful on the water.”
This unique catamaran patrol boat is a clean-sheet design built to accomplish very specific yet diverse missions—such as fisheries and boating enforcement, border patrol, search-and-rescue, and disaster response—and is mission-capable with a full array of sophisticated electronics.
The sea-going 80´x27´ aluminum catamaran achieves a 33-knot top speed, and a 28-knot cruising speed, thanks to a hydrofoil assist, twin 873-hp Cat® C18 D ACERT™ Tier 2 marine propulsion engines and HamiltonJet HM521 waterjets. The vessel is also the first in North America to incorporate Hamilton Jet’s new AVX control system
“The foil creates lift, which reduces wetted area and reduces drag,” says de Waal.
“The twin hulls feature semi-round bilges for good seakeeping and a soft ride.”
The powerful twin-turbo Cat engines were supplied by N C Power Systems, the local Caterpillar dealer.
Sales and engineering teams at N C Power Systems applied their expertise before, during, and after the engines’ installation to meet the vessel’s extraordinary horsepower requirements. Experts at N C understand the challenges of balancing the often-conflicting demands of design constraints and power needs to produce safe, environmentally sound marine engines that deliver a reliable solution.
At cruising speeds in calm seas, the bows lift out of the water, but at displacement speeds, the submerged bows lengthen the waterline to increase speed and extend range. Push knees enable the boat to push against the side or stern of another vessel for boarding access, deck to deck.
In addition to responding to natural disasters and fish and wildlife duties, the game wardens will use the new boat for search-and-rescue missions facilitated by a Raymarine Axiom Pro Chartplotter system.
Utilizing the revolutionary Rapid Rib Deployment System from Teknicraft, the first of its kind in North America, A stern-launched HamiltonJet-powered 19”6” rigid inflatable boat (RIB) can carry a crew of six at 34 knots. The small, fast RIB from Willard Marine is essential for rapid response and can be launched and retrieved very quickly while the big boat is underway.
All electronics are installed in a wheelhouse with wrap-around windows and three shock-mitigating seats. The boat features six bunks in three staterooms, a head with shower, and a fully equipped galley for the up-to-seven-day cruises.
“At the end of the day, it’s all about being comfortable and ready to undertake your mission,” said Jones. “It’s a very robust vessel and a stable platform with a smooth ride. It’s a game-changer.”
