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You are here >> About the PLA >> Harbour Service vessels

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Harbour Service vessels

The PLA maintains an active presence on the tideway with regular patrols by Harbour Patrol Launches, on a 24 hour duty and call between Southend and Putney (the "Lower" and "Middle" PLA districts). Special events and large ships requiring escort are also provided for by these vessels. The area between Putney and Teddington (the "Upper District") is patrolled daily, using two special launches for River Patrol, designed to serve the leisure community. Two reserve launches are maintained to be available at short notice for special duties such as local traffic control and Thames Barrier closure patrols.

'Chelsea' and 'Richmond'
	These new launches were built by Ecocats Limited in 2006/07, for use in the PLA's Upper District, following a three-year research programme into wash characteristics in shallow water carried out by the PLA and Southampton University. The overall length of 10 metres and beam of just under 4 metres gives a large open platform and a spacious island wheelhouse from which the river patrol can provide ready assistance and guidance to rowers, canoeists and other small boat operators. The narrow-beamed hulls and light displacement (3.9 tonnes) cause the least possible resistance, which substantially reduces the power required to achieve normal patrol and emergency response speeds. Due to the vessel's low resistance, the twin Yanmar 36hp diesel outboards provide power for 17 knots, but offer a substantial 67% fuel saving when compared with the former Upper District patrol launches. This fuel economy, together with the solar panels provided to supplement electrical systems onboard, offer savings not only in operating costs but also in emissions of CO2.
'Ravensbourne II'
	The 'Ravensboune II' is used for patrols in the Middle District and has an MCA Small Commercial Vessel (SCV) certificate that allows for Pilotage operations as required. She is a Lochin design semi-displacement monohull and was built in 1985. Ravensbourne II is 11.7m in length with a draught of 1.1m and displacement of 16.5 tonnes. Powered by twin Yanmar 6LYA STP engines, each giving 370 bhp, the vessel has a maximum speed of 23 knots.
(Image by kind permission of Sheila Pennant Jones)
'Westbourne'
	The 'Westbourne' is also used for patrols in the Middle District and has an MCA Small Commercial Vessel (SCV) certificate that allows for Pilotage operations as required. She was built by Halmatic, on a Nelson 44 hull design, in 1990. With a length of 13.4m and a similar draught to that of 'Ravensbourne II', she is also powered by twin Yanmar 6LYA STP engines, giving the vessel a maximum speed of 25 knots.
'Wandsworth'
	The 'Wandsworth' was purchased by the PLA in 1994, having been built in 1977 to a Weymouth hull design. This vessel is used for special patrol duties and as a reserve launch. 10.8m long with a displacement of 8.3 tonnes, she is powered by twin Perkins Sabre N225ti engines of 225 bhp and has a top speed of 19 knots.
'Gunfleet'
	The 'Gunfleet' is another Halmatic Nelson 44 vessel built for the PLA in 1987. She is most likely to be seen patrolling in the lower district from Crossness to the sea. This vessel's overall length is 13.2 metres with a draught of 1.6m, and she displaces 16 tonnes. Twin Scania DSI 11 engines provide 324 bhp and a top speed of 18 knots. Gunfleet is certified by the MCA as a SCV with a pilot boat endorsement, for occasional pilotage tasks.
'Benfleet'
	The 'Benfleet' is a dual-purpose William Osborne design based on a Talisman 49 hull. She was built in 1997 and has a length of 15m, a draught of 1.3m and displaces 22 tonnes. Powered by twin Volvo TAMD 122P engines, each giving 530 bhp, she has a maximum speed of 24 knots. Whilst 'Benfleet' is mainly used for patrolling the lower district she can also be used as a Pilot Cutter, having been certified by MCA for use in both roles. She is equipped with a stern recovery platform for rescue purposes.
'Canvey'
	'Canvey' is based at Gravesend and is available for relief duties in any part of the River. She was built in 1993 by Goodchild Marine to an Aquabell 33 design and has a length of 10m. With a draught of 0.91m and a displacement of 6 tonnes, she is powered by a single Volvo TAMD 61A engine of 306 bhp which gives a top speed of 18 knots.