Advanced vessel going to work for Portland, Maine
One of my favorite companies to deal with is located in Meteghan River. They do mainly American business due to the difference in the dollar. It is great to see that they are getting this attention for their work.
N.S.-built fire boat heads south
By BRIAN MEDEL Yarmouth Bureau
METEGHAN RIVER — One of the most advanced firefighting boats in the world was launched this week from a Nova Scotia shipyard and will see service in Portland, Maine, later this month.
The MV City of Portland is a 20-metre, aluminum-hulled fire boat built by A.F. Theriault & Son Ltd. in Meteghan River.
“We think it’s great,” said the skipper of the new vessel, Capt. David Pendleton of the Portland Fire Department.
“The workmanship is wonderful. It feels like it’s going to be stable and sturdy,” he said Friday at the shipyard.
It’s a state-of-the-art boat, too.
A 13-horsepower bow thruster will help keep the boat on station. And the large water gun on the tower atop the flying bridge is remote-controlled, so it does not require a firefighter in bad weather or in a smoky environment.
“Portland has the only true fire boat . . . north of Boston,” said Capt. Pendleton.
Portland is a city of some 65,000 but swells to 100,000 during the day, he said.
A cruise ship terminal used by the Cat ferry from Yarmouth and a bulk cargo terminal are active.
Since 9-11 more emphasis is being placed on harbour protection.
“The federal government has made homeland security funding available. . . . A lot of (municipalities) like the City of Portland have taken advantage of grants to get boats.
The vessel is worth about US$3.2 million now, he said.
The City of Portland is powered by twin 454-horsepower Caterpillar marine diesel engines.
“This is probably a little bit more powerful than most fire boats of its type and size,” said Michael Mason, the project manager. A 11,356-litre-per-minute water cannon on top of a tower is driven by its own 525-horsepower diesel engine.
The boat has two smaller cannons mounted on the bow and a portable unit on the aft dive platform and a medical bay that is like the back of an ambulance.
Picture from the Portland Press Herald
