High Speed Interceptor 4344 Patrol Boat

LA Port Police in rough water sea trials

LA Port Police in rough water sea trials

The LA Port Police Boat is one of a new breed of CBRN detection patrol boats. A very fine bow entry is the critical design feature of all the Interceptor mode line. This high speed rough water performance allows operators to go offshore to inspect incoming ships before they enter the Port for nuclear and chemical hazardous contaminants.

The boat is designed for rough water with structure design to ISO 12215 and equally important, stability to ISO 12217 Category B. Cat B means it can work safely in 13-17’ waves. The boat has a very tall mast for restricted in maneuverability lights or tow lights. It has exceptional visibility meeting ABYC sight lines. Its spotter windows are designed so in a hard over turn the side spotter windows give the operator an unobstructed view to either port or starboard while at 45 degrees heel.

The propulsion utilises the robust and reliable Cummins 6.7L engines at 480 HP and Konrad heavy duty 680 duo-prop outdrives. This combination provides an exceptionally large engine room and easy access to all service points minimizing down time for servicing. Oversize engine hatches provides access to all sides of the engines.

The boat is fitted with an aft deck helm, which allows an operator to be part of a boarding exercise or in water rescue. The boat has a portable 900 lb davit for body recovery. The wide body version of the Interceptor line provides comfortable seating for three Officers and extra seating for a boarding party or mass rescue. The boat has overwide side decks with cabin access from near normal size sliding doors. These large doors provide good access for use with side arms.

The boat has a high speed stainless deck windlass for when the boat is at anchor and surveilling the harbor and its entrance. It can bring up the anchor at a rapid rate safely with no chance of fouling to let the crew get underway immediately.

The electronics selection was the latest Furuno Timezero navigation system, with 16” displays at the helm and a giant 24” screen at the command/navigation station. The Timezero system is virtually instant at responding to new crew commands, with overlays so clear and intuitive that you really don’t need additional training on these units. KISS is the best principal in electronics these days.

The boat has two very powerful CBRN detection units that are the highest level state of the art detection systems available and are military grade.

MetalCraft Marine designs and manufactures high speed aluminum fireboats and patrol boats.
MetalCraft Marine designs and manufactures high speed aluminum fireboats and patrol boats.
MetalCraft Marine designs and manufactures high speed aluminum fireboats and patrol boats.
MetalCraft Marine designs and manufactures high speed aluminum fireboats and patrol boats.

The RAD System

The RAD system was supplied by Radiation Plus. The RS-700 has a Gamma and Neutron detection system. The unit has an integrated controller and data acquisition system. The heart of the RS-700 is the proprietary advanced digital spectrometer (ADS) module. Using a unique detector energy calibration curve stored in the ADS module, the spectrum is linearized and compressed into the system’s 1024 channel resolution.

A high speed processor allows data to be corrected if necessary without distortion and can process 250,000 characters per second. All data is posted to the RAD Assist software with mapping and Nuclide Identification features.

Chemical detector can read chem, plume, concentration, direction at a 3.1 mile distance. RAD system can detect through
side of passing ships.

Chemical detector can read chem, plume, concentration, direction at a 3.1 mile distance. RAD system can detect through side of passing ships.

The Chemical Detection System

The RAPIDplus chemical detector by Bruker is the second piece of this powerful CBRN patrol boat. It can automatically Detect, Identify and Monitor all known Chemical Warfare Agents (CWA) and important Toxic Industrial Chemicals (TICs) at long distances. Long distances means at 3.1 miles distance.

The system can provide real time detection. The instruments utilise Bruker’s proven RockSolid™ flex-pivot interferometer and can be operated whilst static or on the move with no degradation in performance. The software provides the user with enhanced visual surveillance and analytical displays overlaid on video with an extended substance library and increased detection capability.

The chemical detection limits of the remote sensor for CWAs and TICs are in the low ppm range and the new enhanced list of chemicals in the library is comprehensive. The system requires minimum training and maintenance and utilises operator friendly software that allows easy control of the instrument and interpretation of data. The RAPIDplus software provides enhanced analytical displays that visualise a hazardous cloud as an overlay on video and allows enhanced interrogation of the detection and manipulation of the hazard.

Video: MetalCraft delivers new high tech Interceptor Wide Body 13M craft to Port of LA Police. The craft is fitted with the latest infrared cameras, RAD nuclear detection, which can detect nuclear particles inside the hull of a ship and a chemical detector that can detect hazardous chemicals 4 miles away.

MetalCraft Marine

Los Angeles Port Police in rough water sea trials.

Interceptor 4344
Los Angeles Port Police
Max speed37 Knots
Cruise Speed32 Knots
L.O.A.42'9"
B.O.A.13'4"
Draft24"
Capacity26 people
StabilityISO 12217 Category B
StructureISO 12215 Category B 13-17’ waves
Fuel Cap.400 US Gallons
EnginesTwin Cummins 6.7L @ 480 HP
Cabin height6'10"
Cuddy height6'6"
MetalCraft Marine designs and manufactures high speed aluminum fireboats and patrol boats.

Key Features

Extreme fine bow entry
The boat has an extremely fine bow entry that easily parts a wave or steep chop to protect the crew and reduce icing & spray. This translates into minimal vertical accelerations in steep chop or seas and reduces crew fatigue.
Variable Deadrise Hull
The Interceptor design is the only current design in production today with a variable deadrise hull which develops into a 22 degree monohedron aft deadrise. This feature allows the heavily laden 9M Special Forces Craft, with twin 400 HP Merc outboards to be able to trim up 16 degrees in a split second when faced by a large breaking wave in the dark. The USCG Long Range Interceptor designed with diesel waterjets with no trim control, can trim up with 9-10 degree bow trim.
Soft Dry Ride
This unique design provides an exceptionally SOFT DRY RIDE, this translates into a more comfortable less fatigued dry crew, not fighting off wet & cold. Crew fatigued by wet and cold and a hard ride are not operating in a safe zone of operation. The soft dry ride experienced by crews keeps body temps up and alertness and reaction times at the highest level.
Stability
Calculated and tested to ISO 12217 Cat B (8-17 foot waves) with initial stability that does NOT require the collar to be in the water with minimum crew on one side of the boat. This significantly increases collar life by many years. Most RIBs require the collar to be submersed to meet intact stability. Collars of this design suffer extreme degradation from salt water immersion and tearing from hull spray deflection at extreme speeds. Flotation collars are not cheap to replace.
Raised Collar Design
The raised collar design permits much greater banking and tighter turning radii at all speeds, as well as knocking down seas. The raised collar still lends itself for additional passenger seating and superlative fendering and shouldering maneuvers.
Gunwale Design
The hull/gunwale design allows the boat to be operable even if the collar were severely damaged or completely ripped off the boat. We have specifically designed the craft to be operable in this extreme condition.
Spray Reduction
So important from a driver comfort position, visibility, body temperature control, icing instability. The raised collar design of the Interceptor Patrol dramatically reduces spray and collar damage from water pressure in aft quarters at speed. The spray reduction is further dampened by the performance strakes as they move spray away from the boat and its crew.
Less Drag
The raised collar does not induce an additional drag coefficient from water attachment aft, found in low fitting collar designs that suffer from added hull resistance.
Low Pressure Zone
The aft hull buttocks are designed to provide low pressure zones to prevent forcing the bow down when entering a hard over turn and prevent any chance of hook.
Elongated Spoon Bow
The bow has an elongated spoon bow shape that combined with higher bow trim allows the boat to shoulder a ship at up to 26 knots in 3 foot seas as tested. This is a world record for shouldering a ship and should be done only by well trained personnel. The elongated bow shape also reduces acceleration loads as the bow enters the wave.
Performance Wing Strakes
Performance wings mounted Port & Stbd create faster acceleration and faster time to plane and higher speeds by added boat lift and significantly tighten turning radius. The performance wings are mounted below the chine so as not to conflict with trailer loading and cannot trip the vessel as some performance wings can.
Low dB Signature
The vessel has 5/16” bottom plating for quieter hull noise and low Db for crew, buffered by the extreme fine bow entry. The quieter hull allows for less detection as you come up behind a target.This also permits operation in higher ice thicknesses.
MIL Standards
The Interceptor is designed to US Navy & US Coast Guard MIL standards, including ISO 12217 stability Category B, (8-17’ wave heights) and ISO 12215 structural standards. ISO 12215 design requires structure designed to withstand the Cat B wave height impacts at the maximum operational speed.
Higher Sea States
The unique hull design allows smaller craft to operate safely in higher sea states. The USCG chose the Interceptor design for the offshore 35’ Cutter Boat Long Range Interceptor II and the offshore 23’ Cutter Boat Large.
Level Deck
The cabin version has a single level cockpit/cabin deck. This prevents any trip hazard while entering or leaving the cabin. This is a very important feature when in a high sea state or an emergency situation when moving about with gear is critical and time sensitive.
Headroom
Lots of headroom, the cabin is designed for larger operators, it has an above normal (ABS) aisleway width and 6’10” headroom in the cabin and 5’11” headroom in the cuddy. There is an optional walkthrough cuddy door way to the foredeck, with either the inshore well deck version or the offshore closed in foredeck.
Bow Gate
There is an optional drop down foredeck gate with steps and ladder for accessing beach landings or for diving or retrieval off the bow. The bow ladder is set at a comfortable angle for divers exiting the water.
Dive Doors
Dive doors are located on both port and starboard sides of the cockpit. Dive doors lift out easily and have a lanyard locking pin system to hold them in place, pull the lanyard as you lift the door out. The door stores on the opposite door or on the lazarette. The door cutout is level with the deck giving the divers or rescue person the lowest point to water. The sockets for the 400 lb dive ladder is just below the deck with the underwater dive light below that to illuminate the ladder position in tepid waters.
Rapid Hinging Mast
The newly designed Rapid Hinging Mast (Patent Pending) can be lowered by one man without tools in 9 seconds and raised in 10 seconds. This is a breakthrough in hinged masts and designed to sea state 5-18’ wave strength.
Multiple Cabin Designs
The Interceptor Patrol has multiple cabin designs to choose from, Walk Around Cabin, has full width cabin, ample width side decks with open forward well deck, Offshore Cabin, has decked in foredeck with wave break cuddy design, but still has a walk out cuddy door. Fast Attack Cabin, has an open or closed cabin and is adjustable with bolt on cabin sides and rear wall for winter conditions or summer for HVAC. Open roll up sides for good weather permit officers much easier access to other boats right from their seat.
Excellent Visibility
The Interceptor Patrol provides the best visibility you can get, beyond expectations, and exceeds all ABYC guidelines. The overhead spotter windows offer full 90 degree vertical visibility even with an overhead electronics locker. Side spotters are designed to provide a full range of visibility at the helmsman’s eye level when in a hard over maneuver, banked at 45 degrees. Full glass side sliding doors provide unparalleled visibility when coming alongside a boat or dock or searching the water up close.
Side Sliding Doors That Work
The ergonomic design that went into the Interceptor Patrol made sure that sliding side doors allow the operator an easy time getting out and back into the boat. They are made for real ingress/egress not just large vent windows. Nothing better than cruising with your foot resting outside the door.