The Maine Department of Marine Resources has added a new 57’ patrol vessel to the Maine Marine Patrol fleet, expanding the agency’s offshore enforcement capabilities and improving safety during patrol and inspection operations, the agency said in a press release.
The new vessel, Allegiance, officially entered service June 11 during a christening ceremony at Perry’s Lobster, Surry, Maine. The vessel is now the largest patrol boat in Maine Marine Patrol’s fleet and is designed to support offshore commercial fisheries enforcement, search and rescue, and broader marine resource protection missions.
According to Marine Patrol Col. Matt Talbot, the new vessel will improve the agency’s ability to safely patrol offshore waters and inspect commercial fishing gear, particularly larger lobster trawls deployed in federal waters.
Maine Marine Patrol regularly patrols offshore fishing activity and inspects tens of thousands of lobster traps each year. While the vessel remains capable of nearshore operations, officials said its design is better suited for offshore enforcement, where crews face tougher sea conditions and increasingly larger gear configurations.
In addition to lobster enforcement, Allegiance will support monitoring and enforcement of multiple fisheries, including scallop, Atlantic herring, menhaden and groundfish. The vessel will also be used for search-and-rescue response.
The vessel will be homeported in Boothbay Harbor and assigned to Marine Patrol specialist Evan Whidden. It replaces the 35’ patrol boat Vigilant, a vessel that served the agency for 29 years.
Allegiance was built and finished by Wesmac Custom Boats, Surry, Maine. The builder has now completed or refitted five vessels for Maine Marine Patrol.
The patrol boat is powered by a Tier 4 MAN Energy Solutions V-12 diesel rated at 1,450 hp, giving the vessel a cruising speed above 20 knots. It is outfitted with Furuno navigation electronics and a heavy-duty 17-inch hauler for trap retrieval and inspection.
A large working deck and open stern arrangement allow officers to more safely haul, inspect and reset offshore lobster trawls. The vessel is also equipped to carry a 15’ RIBCRAFT rigid-hull inflatable boat on deck, enabling at-sea boardings and vessel inspections during enforcement operations.
