Completion of fleet for Queensland Police Service
Two of the three patrol vessels at sea trials (photo: Austal)
Built at Austal’s Tasmanian shipyard - which specialises in small to medium-sized vessels - the police boats will be stationed at Yeppoon, Brisbane and Cairns, and are designed to patrol remote, tropical locations for extended periods.
Each vessel has a range of 900 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 20 knots, a maximum speed of 26 knots and features the ability to drive on/drive off a six metre rigid inflatable boat (RHIB) while underway.
The three Queensland Police vessels, named “Lyle M Hoey”, “W Conroy” and “Brett T Handran”, are powered by two MTU Series 60 diesel engines producing 499kW each and driving two fixed pitch Bruntons propellers. The vessels have facilities to carry up to 70 people and include four twin-berth crew cabins plus six berths for additional personnel. Located on the main deck are a large galley and adjacent mess area and laundry, as well as dedicated communications and command centres. The wheelhouse is on the deck above, providing commanding vision. Toilet and shower facilities are located on both the main and upper deck.
