Willard Marine recently took orders to build rescue boats for the Alaska Marine Highway System, the U.S. Military Sealift Command and Maersk Lines Ltd.
The Willard rescue boats meet all Coast Guard requirements under the international Safety of Life at Sea treaty, the company announced.
Additionally, California-based Willard has been supplying patrol boats for international navies, including those in Lebanon, Egypt, the Ukraine and Iraq.
The Alaska Marine Highway System has ordered two 670 rescue boats for the M/V Columbia, which is being refitted with new safety equipment. The boats are being supplied through Vigor Industrial Shipyard in Portland, Ore. Willard has supplied similar SOLAS rescue boats for AMHS ferries under a fleetwide refurbishment program.
Lebanon has acquired four Willard 11-meter cabin rigid-hull inflatable boats and four 11-meter open console RIBs for coastal patrol missions through the U.S. Coast Guard FMS office, the company announced. The Lebanese navy acquired eight of the 11-meter boats under an earlier contract.
The Egyptian navy is acquiring three 5.4-meter RIBs via the U.S. Navy FMS program office through Halter Marine. They will be used for rescue and patrol missions, launched from a larger naval platform offshore.
The Iraqi navy is accepting the delivery of 10 7-meter aluminum RIBs built by Willard. They will be serving as patrol boats and as tenders for larger vessels. Willard also supplied the original 7-meter aluminum RIBs for a Swiftship’s patrol boats under a U.S. Navy FMS contract.
Lastly, the 56-year-old company is supplying a 7-meter RIB for Na Pali Coast Hanalei Tours in Hawaii.
