SOMERSET, Mass. − December 19, 2025 – The Association of Maryland Pilots has received a new pilot boat from Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation. The high-speed vessel is a sistership to its first Baltimore Class launch, delivered by the Somerset, Mass., shipyard four years ago.
With a length overall of 48.5’, beam of 15.6’, and draft of 4’, the all-aluminum pilot boat features the Ray Hunt Design deep V hull. It is powered by twin Volvo Penta D13, EPA Tier 3-compliant diesel engines, each delivering 600 hp at 1900 rpm. A Humphree interceptor trim control system, with its Automatic Trim Optimization, is installed at the transom. The engines turn 5-blade Bruntons NiBrAl propellers via ZF400A gearboxes. The launch is equipped with a 12 kW Northern Lights genset.
Like its sistership, the new Baltimore Class launch is optimized for harbor service. With a top speed of 30 knots, the launch is faster than most larger offshore pilot boats. It is designed to cope with Baltimore’s extreme summer and winter outdoor temperatures by including heated windows, decks, and handrails, as well as 40,000 Btu’s of HVAC in the wheelhouse and forecastle. The main engine cooling systems are designed to recirculate cooling water when operating in ice. The squared-off and fendered bow improves safety when transferring pilots at docks and moored ships.
The vessel’s wheelhouse, with a small trunk, was installed amidships on a flush deck. With forward-leaning front windows, the wheelhouse’s center-line helm station is equipped with five NorSap shock-mitigating seats, a bag rack, and a refrigerator. The forecastle houses a porta-potty, toolbox, and storage for safety gear.
The vessel’s exterior features wide side decks, side and rear doors. A heated Harken TR-31 safety rail system is installed on the handrails on the sides and around the front of the wheelhouse. A control station, along with a powered J-Basket rescue system capable of lifting a pilot from the water to the deck in less than 10 seconds, is located at the transom.