Thai Customs takes delivery of Incat Crowther patrol vessel

Written by Nick Blenkey

Aluminum hulled Customs Boat 523 can operate at speeds of up to 35 knots with a cruising range of up to 300 nautical miles. [Photp: Incat Crowther]

Samutpraken, Thailand, shipbuilder Seacrest Marine has delivered its sixth vessel built in partnership with Incat Crowther for government departments in Thailand , a 20-meter monohull patrol vessel that’s now patrolling the oceans off the coast of Thailand for Thai Customs.

The vessel, Customs Boat 525, is powered by twin MTU 10V2000 M96L diesels, each delivering 1,193 kW at 2,450 rpm and turning the vessel’s twin propellers via ZF 3000 gearboxes.

Designed for maximum performance and efficiency, the aluminum hulled Customs Boat 523 can operate at speeds of up to 35 knots with a cruising range of up to 300 nautical miles. The design of the vessel has been tailored to Thai Customs’s operations with its 0.85 meter hull draft allowing for operation in shallow coastal waters.

The large wheelhouse on the main deck provides optimal sightlines for the crew, while the vessel also has high-powered search, side, and flood lights to allow for operations in darkness. The vessel’s hull deck provides space for a large galley and comfortable sleeping quarters for three crew on rotation.

Tanapat Hemangkorn, managing director of Seacrest Marine, said the delivery of Customs Boat 523 was the result of a successful collaborative process between Incat Crowther and Seacrest Marine.

“We have worked closely with Incat Crowther over several years now to deliver vessels to multiple Thai Government agencies. In the case of Customs Boat 523, Incat Crowther provided a proven monohull platform that would meet the department’s performance requirements,” said Hemangkorn. “The final product is a vessel that is truly tailored to the operational requirements of Thailand’s Customs Department, and we are incredibly pleased to have delivered another state-of-the-art vessel in partnership with Incat Crowther.”