Briggs Marine has ordered a new pilot vessel to meet rising demand.
Goodchild Marine won the order to manufacture and deliver the vessel in 2023 to increase Briggs Marine’s fleet to six ORC-class pilot boats.
The contract for the new ORC pilot boat was agreed at the Seawork 2022 event, held 22 June in Southampton, UK, witnessed by International Tug & Salvage.
Briggs Marine general manager Rob Baker said this vessel is part of the owner’s continuing investment in the fleet “so customers can rely upon modern and efficient pilot vessels.”
This pilot vessel will act as a relief or replacement vessel. Fleet growth will also enable Briggs Marine to offer spot charters for pilot vessels, a service which, the company believes, will continue to grow.
This new pilot vessel, with Volvo Penta D8 engines on board, will be designed to be transportable via road, allowing Briggs Marine to be highly reactive to customers’ timescales and be more fuel-efficient when transporting it to customers in the UK.
Goodchild Marine said the ORC 121 pilot vessel will have an overall length of 12 m, which is shorter than previously supplied ORC 171s and ORC 136s, to allow it to be transported by road.
The semi displacement hull design of the ORC is 40% more fuel efficient than counterparts of similar size vessels, helping to reduce emissions.
This is the sixth pilot vessel Briggs has ordered from Goodchild Marine in the last eight years, with the others transferring pilots in Liverpool, UK.
Other recent investments for Briggs Marine include a Crew Transfer Vessel in 2021, a new multipurpose workboat and 3 new line handling vessels to support a range of customers.