Dongara Marine
Ultra-fast boat for Northern Territory Police
Dongara Marine has handed over a fast patrol boat that law enforcement personnel in Australia’s Northern Territory can rely on to deliver superior performance, safety, and reliability whether it is patrolling coastal waters or responding to emergency situations.
Completed in March 2024, PV Deutrom was purpose designed, built, and equipped for police operations requiring very high speed and the ability to carry multiple personnel.
Dongara Marine also supplied a custom, heavy duty aluminium trailer to enable the vessel to be used throughout the Territory’s diverse and often remote maritime landscape.
The 8.4 metre by 3.1 metre custom rigid inflatable boat (RIB) has an aluminium hull, foam filled collar, and a control console set up for two-person operation. Directly ahead of the console are jockey-style seats for another four personnel. A canvas and aluminium awning extends from the helm console aft.
In addition to helm and navigator / tactical operator positions – served by electronics including sounder/plotter, radar, and multiple radio and satellite communication options – the console provides stowage for essential equipment. Weapons stowage is also provided, and there is a dedicated Samson post aft for towing disabled or apprehended vessels.
A pair of 300 horsepower Mercury outboards provide formidable performance, propelling the RIB to speeds above 50 knots, ensuring rapid response times and swift pursuit capabilities.
Responsive and predictable handling
“While many fast boats offer high speed, they can also exhibit undesirable handling characteristics under certain conditions, posing challenges for safe and effective operation,” explained Rohan Warr, the Australian shipbuilder’s Managing Director. “By contrast, combining the outboards’ power, power steering, and digital throttles with the refined Southerly Designs hullform and active ride control, results in this vessel delivering responsive and predictable handling.”
The hullform used has its origins in military and search and rescue craft operating overseas. Further development through Dongara Marine’s many RIB projects in recent years has refined it, with each example carefully tuned to the weight distribution, speed, and operating profile of the specific vessel’s application.
Dongara Marine says that in the case of PV Deutrom and the other RIBs it has produced, assured and predictable handling results.
“There is no sign of detrimental behaviours such as chine walking, porpoising / planing instability, bow steering, or sliding in turns that can detract from similar fast craft,” Warr said. “This predictability is essential for safe and confident operation, enhancing both crew safety and operational effectiveness, especially by providing the ability to assuredly complete high-speed turns and other tight manoeuvres.”
Designed and equipped for effective operations
The design and fitout also provide the comfort necessary for crew endurance and operational effectiveness, especially during extended patrols or missions. The patrol boat incorporates features such as the suspension seating for all personnel, an ergonomic control layout developed in conjunction with the end users, and substantive shade and shelter. Also contributing to minimizing crew fatigue and enhancing comfort during high-speed operations are the dry ride the hull design provides and the quiet outboards.
High-grade Shockwave suspension seats, purpose-designed for marine use, are fitted. Helm and navigator positions have Shockwave S3 mid-back drop-down seats, while the other four are Shockwave S3 lightweight single jockey seats. These are configured on quick release mounts and a railing system that enables the police to rapidly reconfigure the vessel for different mission types.
“Whether intercepting illicit maritime activities or responding to emergency situations, law enforcement personnel can rely on this very fast patrol boat to deliver optimal performance and safety. We are proud to have been able to complete such an exciting project,” Warr commented. Dongara Marine said that while the RIB’s speed, capacity and fitout make it ideally suited for a
wide range of law enforcement applications – coastal and harbour patrols, border security, personnel insertion, and incident response including search and rescue operations – the boat could equally be applied in other environments and applications, where speed and agility are paramount.
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