Quad squad

Ship & Boat International eNews: January/February 2021

Sweden’s Marell Boats closed 2020 with the launch of its M15 Quad Outboard High-Speed Interceptor (M15Q), designed for high-speed interception missions and capable of speeds in excess of 60knots. The M15Q incorporates a “fine-tuned” version of Marell Boats’ M15 hull, adding four Mercury 450hp (336kW) outboards to the arrangement. Designed for operations in conditions up to sea state 6, the vessel’s 8mm hull plate and longitudinal/transversal framing were incorporated to prevent damage or buckling when encountering impacts in high seas.

The four engines grant the boat a top speed of 64knots when fully laden, and 67knots in lightship mode. Should five of these Mercury models be deployed, that lightship speed would increase to 70knots, Marell Boats tells Ship & Boat International. Twin 900litre-capacity fuel tanks permit a range of 200nm, though this will depend on duty cycle. The hull has a V-shaped bottom with hard chines. A canopy, fashioned in lightweight vacuum-moulded GRP, shields the crew area from the excesses of winter and summer weather, making the M15Q “suitable for both arctic and tropical conditions”, the company comments.

The boat’s raised foredeck acts as a buffer against splashing and green water, and creates a stable platform for personnel when approaching and preparing to board other vessels. The lower aft deck, meanwhile, serves as a multi-purpose platform that can be used to launch smaller craft (including rescue runners) for SAR tasks and/or provide a helicopter pick-up point for personnel. Ullman Dynamics supplied the M15Q’s shock-absorbing crew and officer seats, and a centre-steering position was adopted to grant the helmsman maximum visibility when undertaking high-speed turns and intricate manoeuvres.

The M15Q  also meets the requirements of Lloyd’s Register’s (LR’s) Grey Boat Code, which was introduced in 2019 for naval and government-managed craft under 24m in length.

Marell Boats’ construction methodology includes fabricating the vessels in jigs to ensure straightness.The builder elaborates: “The jig frames forming the hull shape are precision-cut with the same waterjet cutting method as for the hull material.” Once the deck girder structure has been created, sandwich composite deck panels are glued into place on the girder structure, to form a watertight bond. The deck panels also act as insulation against excessive solar radiation, thereby safeguarding hull integrity, especially in tropical and hot climates: the panels absorb any elongation of the aluminium plating, safeguarding the hull from deformation.

TECHNICAL PARTICULARS

Marell M15Q