Six people can sit in the deckhouse in hydraulically dampened KAB514C seats with arm and headrests. Finished in attractive leather, these ergonomically designed seats provide a high level of comfort. Once a person is secured in the seat with a four-point safety harness and the mechanical suspension is adjusted to suit their weight, they can enjoy a comfortable ride, even in rough seas. Two more people can be accommodated on a bench seat if required. The interior is finished in serviceable soft grey and charcoal tones using paint and soft fabrics. A stairway leads to toilets under the deckhouse sole and the engineroom, with its full headroom. Perhaps one of the best features is the engineroom space and the large for'ard deck hatch access. The Arataki will be very busy running on average 17 trips to ships with a pilot each day, so easy maintenance was paramount. The engineroom is generous in size and the easy access encourages regular maintenance. Should an engine require removal it can be craned directly out of the hatch above. The Arataki's twin Scania DI 1643M marine diesels
drive through two Twin Disc MGX gearboxes onto a Pacific Driveline conventional drive train to two Henley 29 x 38.5 five-bladed Tiger propellers. She has a service speed of 25 knots. Up on the aft deck, a small, general-purpose davit may be deployed to lift people from the water in a helicopter rescue strop or a body basket. If this fails, a lower, fold- down rescue platform may also be used for recoveries or
to give the crew access to small craft or when recovering objects from the water. There are both manual and remote-release lifebuoys at the stern for emergencies if a pilot falls into the water during a transfer. The Arataki is configured as a day working pilot launch and has no overnight facilities or galley, so the crew will have to get by with packed lunches. But she is capable of venturing further afield when the need arises for search and rescue operations. Otherwise, the Arataki's trips from her base to the pilot station are relatively short. Her added seakeeping ability gives the Port of Tauranga pilot service much wider operating parameters than in the past.
■ Type of vessel
Hull construction Length overall Beam Draft
Displacement Engines Power
Gearboxes Fuel
Fresh water
Maximum speed Cruising speed Designer Builder
pilot boat aluminium 16.5m 5.4m 1.1m
25.25 tonnes
2 x Scania DI 1643 2 x 550kW
2 x Twin Disc 3000 litres 100 litres 30 knots 26 knots
Bakewell-White Yacht Design Q-West Boat Builders
NZ WORKBOAT REVIEW 2012 27
specifications
VIP.WB12
