VESSEL REVIEW | Heer & Sassi – Pilot boat pair delivered to Port Qasim, Pakistan

Sanmar Shipyards of Turkey has handed over two pilot boats in a series to the Port Qasim Authority (PQA), a port operator in Karachi, Pakistan. The newbuilds were supplied as part of a US$33.46 million contract signed by Sanmar and the Pakistani Ministry of Maritime Affairs in April 2021 for six pilot boats and tugs for deployment off one of the largest deepwater ports in the Karachi area.

Designed by Turkish naval architects Endaze Marine Engineering, the twin pilot boats have been renamed Heer and Sassi by their new owners. Each boat has an LOA of 20.50 metres, a moulded beam of 5.5 metres, a height of 2.92 metres, a navigational draught of 1.61 metres, and a displacement of approximately 62 tonnes. Both can carry 7,106 litres of fuel oil in two tanks, along with approximately 400 litres of fresh water in two tanks.

The boats have twin screw propellers, and each is equipped with all-round fendering for safe manoeuvring. The hull form has been carefully developed to ensure improved seakeeping, safe high-speed operation, enhanced manoeuvrability, and stability under a broad range of conditions up to the boats' maximum speed in excess of 20 knots.

The wheelhouse construction and outfitting has been designed to achieve maximum visibility and operability. The safety rails are placed on the wheelhouse exterior, as opposed to being fitted on the deck perimeter, to allow transfers to and from other vessels to be done all along the main deck instead of only via the bow and stern. The wheelhouse windscreen on each boat is forward-angled to ensure reduced glare.

All accommodation spaces have separate air-conditioning systems for improved comfort.

Click here for more news, features, and vessel reviews as part of this month's focus on marine pilotage operations.