New Vigor-built Los Angeles pilot boats feature Mackay electronics packages

Pilot boats feature a twin-chine heavy weather hull form for excellent seakeeping

The Los Angeles Pilot Service recently took delivery of two customized 56-foot Camarc design pilot boats built by Vigor at its Vancouver, Wash., facility.

Named the Angels Pilot and Angels Navigator, the pilot boats feature a twin-chine heavy weather hull form for excellent seakeeping. This design accommodates multiple heavy fender systems that allows for safer pilot transfers during extreme conditions.

Mackay Marine was selected by Vigor as its marine electronics integration expert for both vessels, providing high-end Furuno navigation systems such as the Navnet 3D TZT2 series Multi-Function Display System, with ancillary navaids including GPS, AIS, and Loudhailer.

Mackay was also the provider for the boats’ FLIR Thermal Camera, Icom VHF radios, ACR EPIRB, and Wilson weBoost Cell Phone Booster System.

Founded in 1907, the Los Angeles Pilot Service includes nearly 30 dedicated professionals including pilots, dispatchers, boat captains, and deck hands. Its mission is to provide safe, reliable, and efficient vessel transit for Port of Los Angeles customers. In any given year, the Sservice works around-the-clock piloting roughly 3,600 arriving and departing vessels. The Los Angeles Pilot Service is the only piloting organization in the U.S. staffed solely by government employees. After a rigorous two-year training program, each pilot continues their education by attending ship simulator training every two years as well as manned-model ship-handling courses in Grenoble, France every four years.