Large Patrol Vessel
Modern fisheries patrol boat to protect Western Australia’s northern waters
Dongara Marine was awarded a multi-million dollar contract to build the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s new Large Patrol Vessel during the third quarter of 2023.
Award of the contract was officially announced by the Western Australian Minister for Fisheries, the Hon. Don Punch MLA, while visiting the Dongara Marine shipyard in Geraldton on September 27, 2023.
The new modern fisheries patrol vessel will replace the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s ageing Patrol Vessel (PV) Walcott.
The new patrol boat will have a longer fuel range to conduct extended voyages, low engine emissions, and improved living conditions compared to the existing 25-year-old PV Walcott.
The vessel will be able to conduct extended voyages of up to 14 days with accommodation and food storage for 10 people, has a more efficient hull design with twin keels to provide improved stability and reduced roll, the latest navigation equipment, and infra-red night vision to support search and research and night-time patrols.
It will also have a 5.5 metre tender to conduct inspections and boardings at sea.
When completed the patrol vessel will be based in Broome and used for a range of core government roles including domestic fisheries compliance, marine park management, shark incident response, marine safety, sea search and rescue, whale disentanglement and illegal foreign fishing interception.
“In WA we have some of the best small to medium sized boat builders in the country and I am pleased to be at Dongara Marine today where the new patrol vessel will be built.”
Don Punch - Minister for Fisheries, Western Australia
