BELFAST, ME – Front Street Shipyard in mid-coast Maine is beginning construction on high-performance multihulls for Trefoil Marine. The T30 is a catamaran designed by Donald L. Blount and Associates (DLBA) of Chesapeake, VA, which will be used primarily for military and police patrol, fire and rescue. The craft’s capabilities are applicable to the commercial and recreational markets as well. Construction on the first vessels begins immediately at Front Street Shipyard.
The T30 design provides superior stability, predictable handling and a smooth ride. The corrosion-free, infused composite construction vessels combine shallow draft with minimal wake. The vessel can be beached or stored without the need for a cradle. Power options include outboard, inboard diesel with drives, or jet. The T30 is designed for river and shallow water operations as much as heavy sea states.
“We’ve been working closely with Trefoil Marine as they’ve honed the design with DLBA and introduced it to prospective clients,” said JB Turner, president of Front Street Shipyard. “That relationship has allowed us to carefully plan an efficient building process for this series of Patrol Cats now that there are contracts in place.”
Front Street Shipyard will take delivery of the cats’ CNC-machined plugs from DLBA Robotics of Hampton, Virginia, in early January, at which time the yard’s composites team will begin constructing molds for the Patrol Cat 30s. The hull and deck will be built of fiberglass with a foam collar around the sides and bow. The first of the boats will launch in early summer 2014.
“Trefoil Marine is pleased to be working in collaboration with the team at Front Street Shipyard,” said Trefoil Marine President Jim Mattingly. “Utilizing their new state-of-the-art facility, we can draw upon their leading technical talent, experience and knowledge of modern composite construction. Their willingness to work with Trefoil Marine and our designers, DLBA, over the past two years assures us that the boats will be manufactured to the highest standard.”
The T30 will be joining the Trefoil line that includes the T28 and T29. The T28 is a trailerable high-speed intercept vessel, and the T29 is a wide-body configuration that provides a substantially large work platform. Trefoil Marine is developing a complete line of commercial vessels from its sales office in Newport, RI. This development includes military patrol and commercial passenger service vessels to 80′. More information is available online at trefoilmarine.com.
Front Street Shipyard will be chronicling the Patrol Cat 30s’ construction process on Facebook and on the yard’s website at frontstreetshipyard.com.
