Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding of Somerset, Mass., has been awarded a contract by the city of Chicago to build two 44-foot police boats. The boats will be designed by C. Raymond Hunt Associates, Inc. of Boston.
The contract specifies steel hulls, aluminum superstructure, minimum top speed of 25 mph, and superior rough-water performance. To comply, the design will be based on the proven high-deadrise Hunt planing hull.
The Chicago Police Marine Division provides security and rescue patrols along the city's 25-mile waterfront covering industrial and yachting facilities. The new boats will provide improved coverage with a high-speed, all-weather capability. The steel hulls will allow operation in ice, as a lengthened shipping season on the Great Lakes is anticipated.