A most interesting new approach to police boats. Originally designed as a self-righting, smooth, comfortable and safe pilot boat, Hart Marine's ORC "beak bow" design has obvious potential as a police patrol and rescue boat. This is a logical new use for a well-proven design.
"Hart Marine's ORC beak bow design and bullet proof construction methods make our police patrol vessels unique," Hart Marine General Manager Graeme Taylor told Ausmarine. "These essentials are coupled with the impeccable FRP work, stream lined engineering systems and state-of-the-art electronic and navigation installation bring the whole package together.
"We believe the customer chose our company based on the design and performance of the Pantocarene ORC police patrol vessel in Europe, which is at the forefront of international police boat design.
"The ORC police patrol vessel is designed and constructed with the provision of safe, comfortable and an efficient service, this the primary consideration through an excellent understanding of the operating conditions police patrol vessels face every day.
"The Pantocarene design has been continually developed and refined over 35 years through tank testing, full scale modelling and customer feedback. The result is a truly superior design, which delivers a higher level of safety and comfort through hull design efficiencies and ease of operation, whilst reducing operating costs."
2019 has been a very busy year for Hart Marine, which also delivered two pilot boats.
"We are looking forward to another busy year at Hart Marine in 2020, with further expansion of our 12- and 17-metre range of police, search and rescue, and pilot vessels," added Graeme Taylor. "Our Commercial Service division is rapidly growing catering to new and existing vessels Australia wide.
"We see the future of the police boat industry heading towards vessels that are focused on the daily operators of the vessels. The trends we see are based on operator fatigue and how to improve their environment to maintain a safer workplace for them and their passengers.
"Features that are commonly sort after in our ORC vessels, are ergonomic seating with inbuilt suspension, sustained noise levels under 72 db and intuitive layouts throughout the vessel design and systems.
"Base trends that have not wavered, are fuel economy through hull design and propulsion packages that can offer power to weight performance, which have been and will still continue to be the driving factor in the marine sector as fuel is the major cost in high use operating climates."