Earlier today (Friday 19 November) the Port of Waterford received its new pilot vessel from Cork’s Safehaven Marine.
As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the port invested some €1 million in the 15m Interceptor 48 named Port Láirge, the Irish for Waterford and a name long associated with a steam-powered dredger that served the city for more than 70 years until the 1980s.
Powered by a pair of Scania DI 13 500hp engines through Twin Disc ‘Quickshift’ gearboxes, the vessel is self-righting, has an operational speed of 25 knots, can carry five pilots and two crew in comfort and ensures year-round capability in all weather conditions.
The Interceptor 48 pilot vessel Port Láirge at dockside in Waterford | Credit: Port of Waterford/Twitter
Safehaven says Port Láirge is the 48th pilot boat it has supplied to ports globally and the 23rd of its class, a statistic “demonstrating how well regarded the design has become in the specialised pilot boat market”.