Feature 1 | Patrol boats Built for speed


Metal Shark’s 38 Defiant has proven a popular choice with the US Coast Guard, combining enhanced visibility with speed and power


Coast Guard (USCG), most notably in supplying the agency with its Defiant family of aluminium force protection boats (FBPs). Te Defiant class is split into sub-groups, each numbered according to length in feet, and is distinguished from Metal Shark’s other ranges of fast response / patrol / rescue boats by dint of the inclusion of a pilot house in the overall design. Sizes range from the 27 Defiant (8.2m


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loa) to the 65 Defiant (19.8m loa), which have proven popular both with the USCG and a cache of international customers, including naval interests in Bahrain. Metal Shark is currently engaged in the production of just under 500 small patrol boats for the USCG, as part of a contract dating back to November 2011, and, it was announced in March this year, the group will plough more than US$1.5 million into expanding its Jeanerette facility, in a move expected to create 88 local jobs, complementing the group’s existing workforce of 144 employees. As with LeisureCat (see pp24-28), Metal


Shark identifies a clear trend towards larger fleets of smaller patrol vessels. “Tere are three main types of patrol vessels that countries consider when outfitting their coast guards and police forces – inland, port security and near coastal patrol,” Greg Lambrecht, vice president, Metal Shark tells Ship & Boat International. “Much of the emphasis in the past has


been placed on larger port security vessels and coastal patrol boats, but much of the protection required lays within the country itself and in shallow coastal waters. In Latin America, for instance, the interior and borders require smaller security vessels to work the rivers and shallower waters. We have seen this same emphasis in the Middle East and Africa. “Another advantage of larger fleets of


smaller vessels is the ability to field multiple assets within a defined budget that may allow only limited larger vessels.”


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the 38 Defiant has incorporated a ‘pillarless’ wheelhouse design for enhanced visibility, to increase safety when operating at speeds of up to 40knots


Defiant to the end The 11.6m loa 38 Defiant occupies a midsize slot in the class, with a beam (including its urethane-sheathed, solid foam collar) amounting to 3.5m, a draught of 0.8m and a dry weight equalling nearly 5.5tonnes. Designed to accommodate 18 persons in total, including all crew and survivors, the 38 Defiant is most definitely built for speed, being capable of attaining 40knots max thanks to a pair of 5.9litre Cummins diesel engines driving Hamilton 292 waterjets. “Speed requirements have increased


dramatically in patrol craſt and that has driven many new design considerations,” says Lambrecht. “With the increase in speed, visibility and ergonomics / crew safety become more important.” To this end, Metal Shark has incorporated


a number of features into the 38 Defiant’s design, including a ‘pillarless’ wheelhouse layout for enhanced visibility, and the deployment of shock mitigation technology in the vessel’s equipment mountings and seating, the latter having been provided by SHOX. The hull, which is welded from 5086 aluminium alloy and packed with expandable foam for enhanced floatation, has been designed in such a way that the


deck-height longitudinal and transverse structures interlock with one another, to provide extra rigidity. Meanwhile, overall weight has been minimised via the incorporation of bends in place of welds. Te vessel also boasts a non-skid deck,


welded to the hull, transverse bulkheads and longitudinal girders. A baffled aluminium fuel tank provides nearly 1,365litres of fuel storage, and the 38 Defiant is also equipped with two 9,100litres/hour bilge pumps. Te forward cabin has been designed


to accommodate survivors, and can be outfitted with provisions to aid injured personnel, including first aid stations and stretcher tie-downs, for example. Additionally, the 38 Defiant has been fortified to withstand the effects of a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) attack, being designed to enable crew to seal off the interior completely from the boat’s exterior environment. When activated by crew, the CBRN unit increases the vessel’s interior pressure. Ballistic protection is also available for


all models in the Defiant range; Lambrecht comments: “The weight impact of this type of protection depends on the level of protection required, but averages between 4-5kg per m² of ballistic material.” SBI


Ship & Boat International May/June 2013


ouisiana-based builder and designer Metal Shark Boats has been kept busy fulfilling orders for the US


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