The 54.5-foot aluminum pilot boat Vega represented the latest ideas in design and propulsion
when it arrived at Jacobsen Pilot Service in the port of Long Beach (Los Angeles) in 2003. After 15 years of daily service, it was replaced in 2018 by the Orion, a 63.5 foot high-performance custom design with a fiberglass sandwich hull that provides excellent insulation from noise and vibration. The Vega was put up for a sale at a bargain price of around $400,000, but did not attract a buyer until the summer of 2020 when the Port of Grays Harbor, Wash. took advantage of this opportunity to modernize its pilot service.
Grays Harbor is the only commercial port on Washington’s Pacific coast, where dangerous
conditions often occur at the entrance, especially during winter gales. Two experienced pilots
are available, to handle 1-2 ships a week, carrying soy meal and wood products for export. They
relied on a traditional steel pilot boat, the 60-year old Chehalis, with a displacement speed of 10
knots. The pilot boat service is operated and maintained by Brusco Tug & Barge, based in
Longview, Washington on the lower Columbia River, who also provide tug service to the port.
The port had been looking to bring in a boat with higher performance for some time. “We started
with the idea of looking at used boats just because of the high cost,” port director of Health,
Safety & Environment Randy Lewis explained to the local paper, The Daily World. “We checked
with other ports and pilot associations to see what they were running and found the cost of a
new custom-built aluminum boat suitable for the task would have run $5 million to $8 million,
while a standard design boat could easily have run $2-3 million.”
Then he learned the Vega was for sale at a significantly lower price than the Port Commission
expected, he admitted. Fortunately, the hull was built by Hike Metal of Ontario, Canada with 3/8”
plate and five watertight compartments for a minimum service life of 30 years, according to the
builders. Hike typically supplies boats to withstand the harsh winter conditions on the Great
Lakes, so the hull showed very few signs of serious wear and tear after its years of daily use in
southern California.
The design features a shallow-V hull with a resiliently mounted superstructure to reduce noise
levels in the pilot house, which is raised above the aft seating area for a better all-round view for
the helmsman. The bridge was laid out ergonomically and is equipped with a central wheel and
Kobelt jog stick, with additional port and starboard stations each with a jog stick and throttle
controls. The navigation screens, engine information and switches were all positioned within
arms’ reach of the Bostrom helmsman’s chair on the centerline. (Hike had hired E.Y.E. Marine
Consultants located in Bedford, Nova Scotia to perform the detail work and production
engineering.)
Even with the shutdown due to COVID, the port was able to complete an initial inspection in
California in July of 2020, as part of the due diligence process. After initial trials in the fall of
2020 by Brusco’s port captain, Troy Irving, and senior pilot Robert Dangelo, several safety
upgrades and modifications were identified to withstand the harsh conditions when coming
alongside ships off the Grays Harbor entrance. It was decided that the Vega needed a
continuous set of hand rails from the foredeck to the transom steps, new raised boarding
platforms on both sides of the bow, and a transom step before it could function safely in the
entrance to Grays Harbor in all weather conditions.
In the engine room, the Vega was originally powered by two Detroit Diesel (MTU) 12V2000
engines rated at 965 bhp @ 2,100 RPM turning twin propellers giving a top speed of about 25
knots. Jacobsen had repowered the boat in 2011 with more powerful Tier 2 Caterpillar C32
ACERT V-12’s, with a maximum output of 1300 bhp at 2100 rpm and raising the top speed to
almost 30 knots. These had logged over 8,000 hours and were found to be in good condition.
All the mechanical systems including the 9 kW Northern Lights gen-set, ZF 3050 A 1.75:1
reduction gears, were checked and serviced, plus the 800-gallon main fuel tank with a leak that
was repaired and pressure-tested.
In the pilothouse, the electronics package was upgraded, but the original layout was retained.
The old cabling and some antennas were removed, and Navsource Marine Electronics of
Vancouver, Wash. installed a full suite of Furuno NMAE 2000 navigation electronics, comprising
two Furuno 1945 radars—4kW and 6kW, SCX-20 Sat compass, GP 330 Bravo V unit, smart
depth sounder, and ComNav 1000 auto pilot—all running on Coastal Explorer software.
The Vega was originally fitted with a continuous D-rubber fender attached by an internal wire
tensioner that had proved satisfactory in southern California. But to withstand the winter weather
off the Grays Harbor entrance, six pairs of double-stacked aero tires were added, four pairs
around the bow and two at the stern. They were secured on top of the D-rubber with heavy
webbing to new eye plates. The heavy framing in the hull-deck joint also facilitated the addition
of the new aluminum stanchions. Bill Smith, Brusco’s Port Engineer was the owner
representative and oversaw the work.
The boat was then trialed at the mouth of the Columbia River, and delivered back to Grays
Harbor by Captain Troy Irving. “The final result of this unusual project by the Port of Grays
Harbor, Brusco Tug and Barge and WCT Marine is a pilot boat in remarkably good condition,
considering its age, and equipped to handle our local waters at a significantly reduced cost,”
said Lewis. “The Vega is now configured to meet our operational requirements and safely
operate in our waters. It can stand comparison with the newer craft used in the other ports on
the NW coast.” WCT’s owner and manager, Willie Toristoja, was also very satisfied with the final product. “The
entire crew at WCT contributed to this overhaul and upgrade of the Vega.” he said. “The Grays
Harbor pilots now have a high-speed boat that will give them many years of reliable service.”
The 54.5-foot aluminum pilot boat Vega represented the latest ideas in design and propulsion when it arrived at Jacobsen Pilot Service in the port of Long Beach (Los Angeles) in 2003. After 14-15 years of daily service, it was replaced in 2018 by the Orion, a 63.5 foot high-performance design with a fiberglass sandwich hull that provides excellent insulation from noise and vibration. The Vega was put up for a sale at a bargain price of around $400,000, but did not attract a buyer until the summer of 2020 when the Port of Grays Harbor, Wash. took advantage of this opportunity.
Grays Harbor is the only commercial port on Washington’s Pacific coast where dangerous conditions often occur at the entrance, especially during winter gales. The port hosts 1-2 ships a week, carrying soil meal and wood products for export. Two experienced pilots are available, relying on a single steel pilot boat, the 60-year old Chehalis, with a displacement speed of 10 knots. The port had been looking to bring in a boat with higher performance for some time.
“We started with the idea of looking at used boats just because of the high cost,” port director of Health, Safety & Environment Randy Lewis explained to the local paper, The Daily World. “We checked with other ports and pilot associations to see what they were running and found the cost of a new custom-built boat suitable for the task would have run $5 million to $8 million and a new standard design boat could easily have run $2-3 million.”
Then he learned the Vega was for sale at a significantly lower price than the Port Commission expected, he admitted. Fortunately, the Vega was builtfora service life of 30 years minimum, according to the builders, and the hull showed very few signs of serious wear and tear after its many years of daily use in southern California. The aluminum hull had been well-built by a reputable Canadian yard, Hike Metal of Ontario, to withstand the harsh winter conditions on the Great Lakes. (E.Y.E. Marine Consultants located in Bedford, Nova Scotia was responsible for the detail work and production engineering.)
The pilot boat is operated and maintained by Brusco Tug & Barge, based in Longview, Washington on the Columbia River, who also provide tug service to the port. Even with the shutdown due to COVID, the Port was able to complete an initial inspection and due diligence process in July of 2020 that identified several upgrades and modifications it wanted to make along with a complete inspection and overhaul in an initial haul out. After initial trials after the pilot boat arrived in the fall of 2020 by Brusco’s port captain, Troy Irving, and Senior Pilot Robert Dangelo, it was decided that the boat needed a complete set of hand rails from the foredeck to the transom steps and new boarding platforms on both sides of the bow before it could function safely in the entrance to Grays Harbor in all weather conditions.
WCT Marine in Astoria, on the lower Columbia River 40 miles south, was selected to perform the work. Bill Smith, Brusco’s Port Engineer was the owner representative and oversaw the work. The hull was heavily framed, and could support the addition of numerous aluminum stanchions from the foredeck to the stern steps. The shafts and propellers were removed for servicing and line cutters fitted behind the screws. To withstand heavy impacts when coming alongside ships in rough seas, six pairs of double-stacked aero tires secured with heavy webbing to new eye plates on top of the original D-rubber, four around the bow and two at the stern. The electronic anti-corrosion system was also reconfigured and recalibrated to operate correctly in the brackish waters of Grays Harbor.
The pilot house is raised well above the aft seating area for a better all-round view from the helm station. The bridge was laid out for good visibility and ergonomics and is equipped with a central wheel and jog stick, with additional port and starboard stations each with a jog stick and throttle controls. The original screens, gauges and switches were all positioned within arms’ reach of the Bostrom helmsman’s chair. The refit included a full suite of Furuno NMAE 2000 navigation electronics by Navsource Marine Electronics of Vancouver, Wash., specializing in Furuno installations and service. They delivered and fitted two Furuno 1945 radars—4kW and 6kW, SCX-20 Sat compass, GP 330 Bravo V unit, Smart depth sounder, and ComNav 1000 auto pilot—all running on Coastal Explorer software.
The engine room was inspected and all components checked, while the leaking 800-gallon main fuel tank was cleaned, repaired and pressure-tested. The boat was test run on the Columbia River and delivered back to Grays Harbor by Captain Troy Irving.
Can I get a quote here on the boat’s performance and the importance of the new railings and stanchions etc., from WCT?” With the excellent work done by WCT Marine, including a significant amount of hull maintenance, electronics upgrades, reconfiguration of the anti-corrosion system, and the addition of hand rails and boarding platforms the VEGA is configured to meet our operational requirements and safely operate in the conditions found in Grays Harbor. (It is fine if you want to attribute that to me) ……………………………………………………………………
The final result of this unusual project by the Port of Grays Harbor, Brusco Tug and Barge and WCT Marine is a pilot boat in remarkably good condition, considering its age, at a significantly reduced cost, which can stand comparison with the craft used in other ports on the NW coast. They all expect this well-used boat will reward this effort with many more years of service.