A NEW eight-metre offshore line handling vessel has been delivered for use at the Port of Gladstone in Central Queensland.
The vessel, called Eclipse, was designed and built by BTB Marine at Hervey Bay for use at Gladstone by RC Marine.
During the past twelve years, Queensland aluminium boat builder BTB Marine has built and delivered thirteen workboats, fast landing craft and other commercial vessels built specifically for marine duties at Gladstone.
The Eclipse was the fourth workboat order from BtB Marine for its Gladstone fleet at RC Marine.
RC Marine director Col Andersen was excited to welcome Eclipse.
“We know from experience that BtB Marine boats are up the job we ask of them, often in less-than-ideal conditions,” Mr Andersen said.
“The safety of our crew and respect for our environment are key issues for us, and BtB Marine have gone above and beyond to accommodate specific applications required to carry out some of the most challenging work in the Gladstone region.”
Eclipse is powered by a 320horse-power Mercury diesel 4.2litre engine and was built in BtB Marine’s Hervey Bay workshop and launched at Murphy Shiplifts at nearby Urangan.
The vessel design owes much to BtB Marine general manager Chris Hough, derived from more almost a quarter of a century as seaman and master, and 12 years building boats for the commercial workboat market.
Chris Hough went to sea when he was fifteen, and both he and business partner Eva Hough (BtB Marine managing director) share significant commercial skippering experience.
“BtB Marine has always come from a philosophy of looking at better ways to build costeffective vessels,” Mr Hough said.
“Ports as busy as Gladstone need reliable, efficient workboats to perform a wide range of duties, and BtB Marine’s vessels have been performing remarkably in Gladstone harbour for Gladstone Ports Corporation, RC Marine and other port contractors for many years”.
Eclipse joins BtB Marine-built sister ships Rahaja an 8 metre line-handling workboat and Colando a 12 metre fast landing craft in the RC Marine fleet.
Independence, another 8m BtB Marine offshore workboat built for RC Marine, is currently in PNG. BtB Marine is also currently developing new commercial workboat designs in the Asia-Pacific region, embracing new diesel outboard technology to cut emissions and improve efficiency and OPEX.
