Willard Marine Delivers Solas Rescue Boats

Willard Marine, a 56-year-old builder of composite and aluminum boats, has recently taken orders to build rescue boats for the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS), U.S. Military Sealift Command (MSC) and Maersk Lines Ltd.

The Willard Marine rescue boats meet all U.S. Coast Guard requirements under the international Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) treaty.

AMHS has ordered two 670 rescue boats for the M/V Columbia, which is being refitted with new safety equipment. The boats are being supplied through Vigor Industrial Shipyard in Portland, Ore. Willard Marine has supplied similar SOLAS rescue boats for AMHS ferries under a fleetwide refurbishment program.

MSC has just taken delivery of four 670 SOLAS boats for USNS John Lenthall and USNS Tippecanoe, and Willard Marine is in the process of delivering five boats to Maersk Lines Ltd, for MSC ships managed by Maersk.

The 6.7-meter SOLAS RIBs feature an inboard diesel engine with water jet propulsion, stainless steel four-point lift pads for single point sling pickup, and a full-height transom with stainless steel transom cap and two towing bollards.

“Willard Marine is one of the leading suppliers of SOLAS-compliant rescue boats for the maritime and offshore industry,” said Ulrich Gottschling, president of Willard Marine. “Our boats, ranging from 4.9 to 6.7 meters, are designed and built to meet the international SOLAS specifications. We bring more than five decades of experience in the construction of high-quality boats demanding applications, and all of us at Willard Marine take special pride in the role our boats play in saving lives at sea.”

Willard Marine will showcase its boatbuilding capabilities at the 2013 WorkBoat Show in New Orleans, Oct. 9-11,