News: Cape class takes shape | ADM July 2012

Austal hosted a keel-laying ceremony for the first of eight high performance patrol boats it is building for the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service last month on June 8.

Keel-laying traditionally marks the first significant milestone in a ship’s construction. Historically this was the “laying down” of the main timber making up the backbone of a vessel. Austal’s advanced shipbuilding techniques means fabrication of ship modules begins well before they are actually joined. So Austal celebrates keellaying when modules are brought together for final assembly.

Although Austal’s design and manufacturing approach is thoroughly modern, the ceremony retained long held shipbuilding traditions. This included placing specially minted coins under a keel block as a symbol of good fortune and to bless the ship. These coins will be removed just prior to the patrol boat’s launch which is scheduled for later this year.

Coins were placed by Australia’s Minister for Home Affairs, Jason Clare; Customs and Border Protection Chief Executive Officer Michael Carmody; and Austal CEO Andrew Bellamy.

“Like our US Navy projects, this program shows that Austal can do more than design and manufacture world-class ships,” Bellamy said. “We are also taking the prime contracting role and using inhouse expertise to develop and integrate sophisticated electronic systems for command, control and communication. We are also building on our existing capabilities to establish and operate a comprehensive and effective in-service support system for the fleet.”

Construction of the first Cape Class Patrol Boat will continue in accordance with schedule, with launch due in December this year prior to sea trials and delivery to Customs and Border Protection in March 2013. Austal’s eight-year support contract for the fleet encompasses a full range of intermediate and depot level maintenance activities.

The Cape Class Patrol Boats will play a significant role in protecting Australia’s borders from multiple maritime threats, and have been designed to have greater range, endurance and flexibility, as well as enhanced capability to operate in more severe sea conditions than the current Customs and Border Protection fleet. The aluminium monohulls can operate at 25 knots and have a range in excess of 4,000 nautical miles. Each can undertake simultaneous operations with two embarked 7.3 metre rigid hulled response vessels.