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SECURITY WORKBOATS U.S. companies continue to land lucrative contracts with domestic and foreign customers for vessels that are designed or specially customized to meet defense, police and anti- piracy needs. Governments here and abroad, meanwhile, continue to cut budgets. Many of the security craft to be delivered this year are built to save energy, reduce emissions and reach higher speeds and greater cruising ranges than their predecessors. They have the latest tracking and com- munications systems. And a few new vessels are remotely operated. Domestic companies building these sought-after security boats have work backlogs of two to fi ve years. MetalCraft Supplies Long Range Interceptors and Patrol Boats “We will deliver fi ve Long Range Interceptors to the U.S. Coast Guard this year and next, along with two interceptors to foreign navies and a number of other boats to foreign na- vies,” Bob Clark, New York-based contracts manager with MetalCraft Marine Inc., said last month. “We’ll also deliver two groups of our Patrol 36 to foreign customers, a group of Patrol 44s, and two or three of the Patrol 28s.” The company’s clients include governments in the Middle East, Africa and South America. MetalCraft Marine is based in Kingston, Ontario and Cape Vincent, N.Y. Security for the Long Run Firms Building Sought-After Security Boats Have Multiyear Backlogs Firms Building Sought-After Security Boats Have Multiyear Backlogs By Susan Buchanan Image above: Swiftships sandblasting of the 148 ft vessels for South Oil Company of Iraq. October 2014 28 MN MN Oct14 Layout 18-31.indd 28 9/18/2014 3:30:08 PM
