DELIVERED BUILD

Pilot Interceptor

A heavy-weather pilot interceptor engineered for safe, repeatable transfers in confused Gulf seas — delivered to the busiest pilot station on the lower Mississippi.

5.0Trusted by professional operators across the Gulf

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Hull: H-246
Class: Pilot Class
Client: Port of South Louisiana
Delivered: 2024
LOA: 68 ft

§ 01OverviewHull H-246

The brief, and how we answered it

The Port of South Louisiana runs one of the highest-traffic pilot stations in the country, and the previous boat was aging out of a brutal duty cycle. The brief was uncompromising: keep pilots moving in weather that grounds lesser hulls, and do it for decades.

We answered with a deep-vee aluminum hull tuned for a soft entry and a self-righting superstructure that recovers from a full knockdown. Foam-cored fendering wraps the working deck so the boat can lay against a moving ship's hull without marking either vessel.

Inside, shock-mitigating helm seating and a low, balanced center of gravity keep the crew fresh across back-to-back transfers. Every system the pilots touch was placed for a cold, wet, 3 a.m. boarding — because that is when the boat earns its keep.

Challenges Solved

Weather was grounding the old boat

The prior hull stood down in sea states the station still needed to work, leaving inbound ships waiting on a pilot and the schedule slipping.

Crew fatigue on back-to-back transfers

Hard rides beat up the boarding crew over a long shift. We engineered the ride and the helm around keeping pilots sharp for the next transfer.

§ 02The BuildPilot Class

Built to self-right and keep working

Pilot boat superstructure under fabrication in the shop

Hull H-246

A sealed, buoyant superstructure recovers the boat from a full knockdown, and a foam-cored fendering belt lets it lay against a moving ship without marking either hull.

Self-righting wheelhouse rated to a 360° recovery
Shock-mitigating helm and observer seating
Full-length foam fendering for ship-side contact

Start a Build Like This

§ 03SpecificationsABS / USCG reviewed

Built to spec, down to the weld.

Pilot Interceptor side elevation blueprint — Hull H-246Pilot Class68 ft

Length Overall68' 0"

Beam18' 6"

Draft4' 2"

Hull Material5086 Aluminum

PropulsionTwin 1,000 HP

Top Speed28 Knots

Range420 NM

Crew3 + 6 Pilots

§ 04The Outcome

Zero weather cancellations in the first season

Through its first winter the interceptor completed every scheduled transfer the station tasked it with — work the prior boat would have stood down for. Pilot fatigue scores dropped and turnaround between ships tightened.

Transfers / Year: 2,400+
Weather Standdowns: 0
Sea State Rating: SS6

§ 05Project Gallery4 frames