03.02.2015

Port of London Authority inks deal on new catamaran survey vessel

• High-tech, fuel-efficient and proven catamaran design
• New boat due for delivery later this year
• Vessel will replace long-serving survey vessel Yantlet

The new boat is due to enter service later this year and will continue the PLA Hydrography team’s vital survey work which facilitates safe navigation on the tidal Thames. The river is an essential link for trade, travel and leisure. It is home to the UK’s second biggest port, is the busiest inland waterway and hosts the largest concentration of rowing clubs in the country.

The CTruk MPC19 is a hydro-dynamically optimised twin-hull design that boosts smooth passage through the water. It also has a low draught for shallow water access and a low air draught (height) so it can get under Thames bridges with ease. The boat can accommodate up to 12 people (two crew and 10 passengers) and is loaded with features including:

• Water-jet propulsion (for a high level of control and low draught)
• Multi-beam sonar platform
• A 4-metre survey-capable Rigid Inflatable Boat (R.I.B.)
• Cruise speed of 18 knots
• Survey speed from 2 knots.
• Fuel efficient to save operating costs
• Top-of-the-range echo sounding systems and ancillary survey equipment
• Deck that can take loads of up to 1 tonne per square metre
• Equipment includes a Palfinger foldable knuckle crane

This type of boat is popular with offshore wind farm support work. Essex-based supplier CTruk will build the FRP composite vessel using a vacuum resin-infusion technique, giving a smooth hull shape and lean body frame that will allow for a more efficient passage along the Thames.

Capt. John Pinder, port hydrographer, said:

“This boat should be an excellent addition to our fleet. It offers more space to our busy crew and its fuel efficiency is a bonus that will help us keep costs down. We very much look forward to taking delivery of the craft and naming her.”

CTruk has built 18 of these multi-purpose cats to date, with the popular design racking up thousands of service hours on 24/7 operations in the UK and Europe.

Chairman Pete McIntosh commented:

“Building for a client as highly regarded in its field as the PLA is a great endorsement for CTruk. We look forward to working closely with the PLA team to produce a boat that is well suited to the complex demands of their important work on the river Thames.”

Notes for editors:

For more information from the Port of London Authority please contact Martin Garside:
[email protected], +44 (0)7736 362385.

For more information from CTruk please contact Amanda Çetin:
[email protected], +44 (0)7518 049251.

About the PLA www.pla.co.uk @LondonPortAuth

• The PLA manages navigational safety and related matters on 95 miles of the tidal Thames from west London, through the capital, and out to the North Sea.
• The tidal Thames is home to:
  • The UK’s second-biggest port, keeping people across London and the south east supplied with food, fuel and clothes
  • Busiest inland waterway for both passengers and freight, hosting over eight million passenger trips and keeping over 265,000 lorry trips off London’s roads a year; and
  • A centre for sports and recreation.
• Film about the Thames and the PLA

About the PLA Hydrography team www.pla.co.uk/hydrohomepage

The PLA Hydrographic Service provides a wide range of services to Thames river users. It has responsibility for surveying 400 sq. miles of the river Thames and estuary, from the tidal limit in the west out to the southern North Sea. Surveys are primarily conducted for safety of navigation, but a significant effort goes into conservancy and environmental monitoring surveys, as well as detailed engineering works undertaken on a commercial basis. Find out more about the PLA Hydrographic Service by watching our film: Charting the Thames - a Port of London Authority Film

About CTruk www.ctruk.com @C_Truk

Established in 2010, UK-based CTruk designs and builds high-speed composite marine craft with multiple commercial applications. The company has produced numerous vessels for the offshore wind sector, including three SWATH workboats, and has also built a proof-of-concept military vessel. In 2013 the company delivered the first wind farm vessel built to Bureau Veritas (BV) | HULL • MACH Wind Farms Service Ship–S1 classification rules. CTruk uses a vacuum infusion technique and a very efficient, modular production process to build composite workboats to the highest standards, saving up to 40% on weight and optimising hydrodynamics. The company’s patented moveable wheelhouse and modular deck pod system add multi-role capability to these robust craft.