Nautic Africa lays keel of first 35 m Sentinel for Nigerian customer

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Nautic Africa has laid the keel of the first of four of new 35 metre Sentinel vessels for a Nigerian customer.

The ceremony was held on December 1, 2014, in Cape Town and attended by the vessel owners and other dignitaries. “What makes this new partnership particularly significant to Nautic is the fact that the vessels will be deployed in new waters south of our existing fleet of vessels in Nigeria, giving us a greater ‘sea’ print around Africa,” the company said.

The order was received last year and calls for the multi-role vessels (MRVs) to be built to specific requirements. As a result the vessels feature fire-fighting capabilities, a double hull aluminium structure and a sharp, underwater shape and triple-engine configuration for high speed operations, even in adverse weather conditions and with a full load.

The first 35 m Sentinel was delivered last year, to a Nigerian customer. The largest in the Sentinel class, the design is optimized for endurance security patrols and cargo transfer. Nautic Africa concluded a R600 million deal in mid-2013 to build seven of the 35 m multi-role patrol vessels for West African clients.

The first of class, MV Sir Emeka Offor, was launched in August 2014. Given the area that the vessel will operate in, the vessels features composite ballistic protection, with the wheel house capable of stopping a projectile fired by an AK-47. The vessel is also fitted for, but not with, defensive weapons. Driven by three Caterpillar engines, the vessel has a crew of eight and can accommodate 18 passengers at a maximum speed in excess of 28 knots.