Lake Assault Boats, global manufacturer of purpose-built and mission-specific patrol, rescue, and fire boats, has a 31-foot patrol vessel on duty with the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit based in northern Rockland County, New York, USA. Placed into service in 2017, the craft patrols a vital 33-mile section of the lower Hudson River that includes the Bear Mountain Bridge, the new Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge (replacing the Tappan Zee Bridge), the Indian Point nuclear power plant, and a pleasure craft marina with more than 850 boat slips.
“We are honored to have a Lake Assault Boats custom patrol vessel serving with the Rockland County Water Patrol Unit, helping to protect the citizens and important infrastructure along one of the nation’s most important rivers,” said Chad DuMars, Lake Assault Boats vice president of operations. “The craft is custom designed and equipped with a wide array of advanced technologies to meet the unique needs of this customer.”
Lake Assault Boats’ custom patrol vessels
The Rockland County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit provides enforcement, safety, ecological, and rescue services
The Rockland County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit provides enforcement, safety, ecological, and rescue services. The craft also participates in joint operations exercises with the U.S. Coast Guard. During high boat traffic days – such as weekends and holidays – the vessel is assigned to maintain a security post at the new Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge construction site to keep boaters away from a safety zone established by the U.S. Coast Guard. The craft also carries mobile radiation monitoring equipment to measure and locate any possible sources of radiation along the waterway.
“The boat has proven itself to be a great addition to our fleet. It can cruise at 38 knots or better and is highly maneuverable, and it runs very well in rough water,” said Sgt. Omar Munoz, an 11- year veteran of the Marine Unit and part of the team that wrote the boat’s specs. “Furthermore, the after sale service and support provided by Lake Assault Boats has been excellent. We had a couple of small issues, initially, and their team responded quickly and went out of its way to help us out.”
Equipped with radar, sonar and infrared system
Manufactured from high-strength marine grade aluminum, and utilizing Lake Assault’s proven stringer system and modified V hull design, the craft is 31 feet long and has an 11-foot beam. It is powered by dual Mercury Verado 300 hp engines with digital throttle, shift, and power steering. The fully-enclosed pilothouse is equipped with aft, port and starboard weather tight doors, overhead spotter windows, shock mitigating seats, cuddy bench seats, a workstation, and a 15,000 BTU rooftop air conditioner.
The boat’s sophisticated electronics include radar, side scan sonar, VHF radio, forward looking infrared, and a 14.1-inch sunlight viewable touchscreen display. “The electronics in this craft are state of the art, and are making our officers much more effective as well as safer on the water,” added Munoz. “We have made especially good use of the side scan sonar in shallow water situations.”
