There’s been a lot of interest in expedition yachts lately, go-anywhere, anytime vessels of all sizes and shapes, ready to tackle rough waters all around the world. That’s all well and good. We all need dreams, and sometimes they come true. But here’s the real thing.
Take a good look at the Emerald Island, an aluminum pilot boat designed by Ray Hunt Design of New Bedford, Massachusetts. It runs up and down Prince William Sound, all year, in any kind of weather, delivering pilots to tankers serving Valdez, Alaska.
At 75 feet, the Emerald Island is large enough to deal with all sea states, even in Alaska, and Hunt’s deep-V hull cuts through the waves offshore. Power comes from two 1400-hp Cummins diesels rated for continuous service at 28 knots, coupled to big Hamilton waterjets. It has multiple heating systems to keep the interior warm and comfortable, the windows defrosted, and the decks and handrails free of ice.
The hull plating is extra thick for protection from the ice, and it is surrounded by special soft-foam fendering. Oversized deck lights help with boarding operations during Alaska’s long winter nights. Inside, the pilothouse has a galley aft and comfortable seating for four pilots and two crew. The Emerald Island was built by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding of Somerset, Massachusetts.
Capt. Ron Ward of the Alaska Pilots Association praises the boat and its performance. “The entire Association loves her ride and comfort,” he says. The wind off Valdez can blow over 100 knots, he says, and “we are either riding before it or busting through it, and the Emerald Island cuts the water like a knife.”
Hunt, of course, designs a few more vessels than pilot boats. C. Raymond Hunt Associates was founded in 1961 to capitalize on Ray Hunt’s use of a deep-V hull on the iconic Bertram 31. Since then, Hunt has designed boats from 10 to 140 feet, including boats for Boston Whaler, Grand Banks, Bertram, Burger, Chris-Craft, Grady-White, Lyman-Morse, and many others. And it designs military boats, as well as pilot boats.
It also, of course, designed its namesake Hunt Yachts, now owned by Hinckley. Hunt Yachts has two model lines, the Ocean Series, with yachts from 56 to 76 feet, and the Coastal Series, with three versions of a 33-footer.
Specs.: LOA: 75’7”; Beam: 21’11”; Draft: 4’; Disp.: 60 tons; Fuel: 2,000 gals.; Water: NA; Power: 2×1400-hp Cummins diesels and Hamilton waterjets. Read more at http://rayhuntdesign.com and see the video below:
