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Metal Shark Boats
Jeanerette, LA – Shipbuilder Metal Shark is building a welded aluminum 55’ x 17’ pilot boat for the Pascagoula Bar Pilots Association in Mississippi. Designed in-house, the new 55 Defiant Pilot being built for Pascagoula Pilots represents the latest evolution in Metal Shark’s pilot boat lineup. The distinctive vessel incorporates the“faceted hull” design initially developed by Metal Shark for the US Navy 40 PB program, & features an enhanced version of Metal Shark’s signature “pillarless glass” in a two-tiered, reverse-raked arrangement. Metal Shark initially implemented automotive-style frameless glass into its pilothouse designs to eliminate the dangerous blind spots common on legacy pilothouse designs fitted with smaller, framed windows. As a further evolution of this concept, the new 55 Defiant’s pilothouse features a second tier of glass, drastically improving downwards-angle visibility during man overboard retrieval, or while operating alongside another vessel. “Metal Shark continues to develop next-generation pilot boat designs custom-tailored to meet the requirements of individual pilot groups, each based upon an extensively proven hull form,” said Carl Wegener, Metal Shark’s VP of Commercial Sales. “We’re excited to be building this new pilot boat for Pascagoula, which is their second Metal Shark pilot boat & the first in a series of this new 55’ Defiant platform.” “We invest heavily engineering to continually enhance & evolve our product portfolio & this newest pilot boat exemplifies that approach,” said Metal Shark’s CEO Chris Allard, “Like our US Navy 40 Defiant patrol boats, & our 50 Defiant & 70 Defiant fireboats now in production, this new 55 Defiant Pilot shows our commitment to the ongoing evolution of our product line across all sectors. We invite pilots everywhere to experience the many advantages of a modern & efficient, crew-friendly Metal Shark pilot boat.” Metal Shark is a diversified shipbuilder specializing in the design & construction of welded aluminum & steel vessels from 16’ to over 300’ for defense, law enforcement, & commercial operators. Key customers include the United States Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force, Army, foreign militaries, law enforcement agencies, fire departments, passenger vessel operators, pilot associations, towboat operators, & other clients worldwide. With three fully self-contained shipbuilding facilities in Alabama & Louisiana USA plus a dedicated engineering facility in Croatia, Metal Shark’s 500+ employees produce over 200 vessels per year with a proud & proven track record of high quality, on time deliveries. For More Information Contact Metal Shark at (252) 824-1600, Sales@metalsharkboats.com, or www.metalsharkboats.com