Pilotage authorities turn to IMTRA for broad range of equipment

Image: IMTRA

New Bedford, Mass., headquartered marine equipment manufacturer and importer IMTRA reports it has been booking orders from multiple pilot boat organizations to supply equipment for newbuilds and retrofits.

Products selected include easy to install and fully serviceable DHR navigation lights, high-powered Offshore Series deck lighting, ideal for increasing visibility and crew safety and ergonomic Norsap chairs custom-built to meet the precise needs of each pilot organization. Also in demand: windshield wipers designed for continuous, heavy-duty use.

“Pilots face one of the most challenging and demanding jobs in the marine industry,” said Alex Larsen, vice president of commercial sales, IMTRA. “They are on call 24 hours a day, rain or shine to safely guide in cruise ship passengers and billions of dollars worth of cargo to some of the busiest ports in the world. We are honored to be trusted by these discerning individuals.”

Recent projects include:

• The Brazos Santiago Pilots, responsible for the Port of Brownsville and Port Isabel in Texas, chose Exalto wipers and DHR navigation lights for their 64-foot Metal Shark pilot boat.

• The Charleston Branch Pilots Association in South Carolina recently refitted its vessels Fort Moultrie and Fort Sumter with DHR navigation lights and Offshore Series LED deck lights.

• The Lake Charles Pilots responsible for the busy Calcasieu Ship Channel in Louisiana selected Offshore Series LED deck lights for their vessel the Cameron Pilot II.

• The Los Angeles Pilot Service chose Libra doors, BCM and IML interior and courtesy lighting, as well as Offshore Series LED deck lights and Exalto wipers for its two new 56-foot Vigor pilot boats.

• The Association of Maryland Pilots has commissioned two new vessels from shipbuilder Gladding-Hearn to be delivered in late 2020 and early 2021. These vessels will include Norsap chairs, Offshore Series LED deck lights, DHR navigation lights, Exalto wipers and BCM interior lighting.

• The Sabine Pilots, who serve the shipping industry and the public ports of Beaumont, Port Arthur and Orange, Texas, as well as private oil terminals and industrial complexes in Southeast Texas, have chosen Norsap chairs, DHR navigation lights and searchlights, high-output engine room lighting and Decca straight-line wipers for their new Breaux’s Bay Craft 85-footer, expected to deliver later this year.

• The San Francisco Bar Pilots updated their pilot vessel Drake with DHR navigation lights. The San Francisco Bar Pilots are tasked with safely and efficiently navigate the world’s largest ships through 160 miles of North America’s most challenging waterways.

• The Southwest Alaska Pilots Association have updated the pilot vessel Emerald Island with Norsap chairs. The association is charged with the challenging task of the safe navigation of vessels on the waters of Icy Bay, Prince William Sound, Resurrection Bay, Kenai Fjords, Cook Inlet, and the Kodiak Island Archipelago.

• The Tampa Bay Pilots Association chose DHR navigation lights, Offshore Series LED deck lights, high-output LED engine room lights, Norsap chairs, Exalto wipers and an assortment of interior and chart illumination for its 54-foot vessel.

• The Virginia Pilots Association selected Norsap chairs, Offshore Series LED deck lights, DHR navigation lights and Exalto wipers for upgrades to their vessel Hampton Roads and a new vessel being built by Gladding-Hearn to be delivered later this year.

“When it came time to update our equipment, we immediately went to IMTRA,” said Leslie Head, station manager, Tampa Bay Pilots Association. “Our experience with the team, from technical support to customer service and shipping has always been top-notch. We are confident that the products we installed will meet our needs for years to come.”