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January 2012 www.sname.org/sname/mt e Parent Craft Model Adapting proven designs to the requirements of USCG high-speed patrol boats BY DENNI þÿ sS FAN þÿ g uGUYIn 1984, Lockport, Louisiana-based Bollinger Shipyards was awarded its rst patrol boat contract for the United States government. at vessel?s design used a ?parent craft? as the basis of the design. ree parent craft designs later, and with more than 140 patrol boats deliv- ered to the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and the United States Navy, Bollinger, and the government continue their business model of developing high-performance patrol vessels based on parent craft designs available in the worldwide patrol boat naval vessel market- place. e company is scheduled to deliver the rst of the USCG?s fast response cutters (FRC) in early 2012, recently performed sea trials on the rst vessel of the class, and has started construction on the 12 addi- tional vessels of the same design. e USCG has the option of building a total of at least 34 of these vessels under the existing contract. e success of this business model begins with the selection of the right parent craft. Bollinger?s engineering team, consisting primarily of its in-house sta of naval architects and marine engineers, then tailors these international designs to typically rigorous government require- ments, resulting in an aordable, low-risk parent craft design that has been proved in service even before the rst of class is delivered. Patrol craft history e high-performance patrol boats that Bollinger has been building range in size from 87 to 179 ft. in length, with top speeds ranging from 25 to 35 knots. e boats are designed to operate and survive through sea state ve conditions, and meet Naval Sea Systems Command standards for two-compartment damage stability, requirements that are above and beyond the capabilities of most international designs, requiring modications to the parent craft designs. Photos courtesy Bollinger Shipyards, þÿ IInc. 26_31_FanguyFRCfeature_SNAME_Jan12_P3.indd 2712/22/11 3:37 PM