Louisiana-based boatbuilder Metal Shark has delivered its latest new law enforcement patrol boat to the Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD).
The new 35-foot Defiant welded aluminum pilothouse patrol vessel, built at Metal Shark’s Jeanerette, Louisiana production facility, joins the fleet of 36-foot Metal Shark Fearless-class high performance center console patrol boats delivered to the PRPD a year ago.
The new boat features a fully-enclosed, climate-controlled pilothouse for all weather operation, outfitted with Shockwave shock-mitigating seating for a crew of four. Triple Mercury 300HP Verado four-stroke outboards push the vessel to speeds in excess of 45 knots.
The Metal Shark 35 Defiant is the first new boat to enter service with the PRPD since Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in September.
“Metal Shark is honored to support the Puerto Rico Police Department with the most advanced, capable, and durable law enforcement boats on the market,” said Henry Irizarry, Metal Shark’s Vice President of International Business Development, during crew familiarity training aboard the new vessel in San Juan last December. “These boats are a vital part of the PRPD’s efforts. They are operated in open-ocean conditions, around the clock, for up to 3,000 hours per year, so safety and reliability are crucial.” www.metalsharkboats.com
