Snow & Company Delivers New Launch to the Savannah Pilots
Seattle shipbuilder Snow & Company earlier this month delivered Savannah, the first of two new 64-foot pilot boats for the Savanah Pilots Association. Designed by Camarc Design, the single chine, flush deck 5086 aluminum vessel is the third pilot boat the U.K.-based firm has designed for the Savannah pilots.
Savannah is powered by MTU 12V2000M86 marine engines, Hamilton HTX 52 waterjets with electronic AVX controls, ZF 3055 marine gears, and Geislinger Carbon Fiber driveshafts / Silenco couplings. This combination allows for excellent maneuverability with a top speed of approximately 35 knots, the builder said.
One of the nation’s oldest pilot associations, the Savannah Pilots Association has safely guided vessels on the 25+ mile journey from the sea entrance to the port of Savannah since 1864. They require vessels with excellent sea keeping ability and maneuverability even in the worst of sea conditions.
“Choosing Snow & Company as builder and using our previous proven design by Camarc was the right decision for us at the Savannah Pilots. These two vessels will be our third and fourth built for us in Seattle, all at the same facility which has consistently produced outstanding vessels,” said Captain Robert Thompson III, Pilot 23, Master Pilot & President, Savannah Pilots.
“Working with Snow & Company along with Camarc Design, MTU, Hamilton Jet and many other vendors has produced an outstanding vessel for us, looking forward to completing the second one,” said Captain Nick Groover, Pilot 18, Vice President & Marine Superintendent, Savannah Pilots.
“During our acceptance sea trials in Puget Sound, the vessel exceeded our expectations in speed, reduced noise levels and smoothness. Robust construction from Snow & Company’s skilled build team insures us a tough and durable vessel with a service life to exceed 20+ years,” said Captain Rich Galuk, Chief Engineer, Savannah Pilots.
Brett Snow, owner of Snow & Company, said, “For me, this boat is the beginning of a new type of work for our company, a niche we feel we fit into quite well. It is an honor to have been chosen by the pilots to build their new boats. Bringing in some experienced talent that has specialized in this type of construction has certainly helped us with fewer lessons learned, combined with fresh skilled workers eager to learn allows us to produce beautiful and tough boats. This has been a great project and we all feel quite proud of the vessel we are delivering. The folks on the shop floor, the inhouse design team, the naval architects in the U.K., our project and production managers, and our sub-contractors have teamed up to deliver a great vessel.”
The second pilot boat for Savannah is currently underway and is scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Length: 64ft
Beam: 19.5ft
Draft, full load: 3.63ft
Displacement, Full Load: 102,000lbs
Top speed: ~35 knots
Fuel: 1,200 gallons
Freshwater: 150 Gallons
2 crew, seating for 7 pilots
All – Aluminum construction
D-rubber / Aircraft tire fendering
(2) Phasor K4 30 kW generators
Complete Electronics package provided by Mackay Marine
500 lb SWL capacity rescue davit
Day galley & pilot accommodations
6 Beurteaux Pilot Seats
1 Stidd Pilot seat
2 Stidd crew seats
