Nano

The NANO workboats solve your problem!

The Problem:

Harbours, terminals, canals, locks and dredging sites require serious workboats that can perform and last under severe conditions of heat, dust, cold, rain, debris laden waters, etc.
These workboats are often driven by unskilled operators that bang and crash them many times a day. They rub against steel ships and rusty docks. They perform boarding operations on moving ships with their powerful bow waves, and suction current aft. The boats are often hoisted by ship cranes or moved to other locations by truck. Low quality, contaminated fuel is often all that is available. Engines sometimes clock over 2000 hours per year. Maintenance is often poor or inexistent and the boats are used until they fail. There are only very few serious small workboats suitable for these situations.

The NANO range however is specially developed as a solution for such applications.

The Options:

A variety of boats with:

Outboard engines:
Boats with outboard engines need replacement within two years in such conditions, gasoline is dangerous, and they have no pulling force.
Sterndrive propulsion:
Sterndrives are high maintenance, and all their makers explicitely void the warranty for commercial applications (except Konrad drives).
Modern diesel engines: 
Pleasure duty rated diesel engines with common rail injection and electronic governors are fragile.
Fast and lightweight boats:
Lightweight, high speed hull forms, are dangerous around ship wakes and cannot pull or push seriously.
Steel boats
Steel is Ok for speed below 7 knots, but it is heavy and rusts quickly.
GRP boats:
Solid non-cored GRP can be an option, but most GRP boats are built lightly, and are sensitive to abrasion and impact. Repairs are difficult. Most boats in this size range are optimized for high speed operation, and perform poorly in the 10-15 knots speed range where most of the work is done.

The Solution:

A NANO aluminium workboat:

Propulsion: 
A low rpm diesel engine, driving a large diameter bronze propeller via a conventional shaft, is the simplest, most reliable, most durable propulsion system.
Hull:
A thick Aluminium hull is immensely strong, durable, does not rust, and resists abrasion and impacts.
Fendering:
Oversize all around fenders, bow fender covering the whole stem until below waterline, and special aft quarter protection, protect the boat from impacts.
Thick rubbing strakes on the hull are fitted as additional protection.
Speed:
The hull is optimized for the 10-18 knots speed range where most of the work is done.
Boarding:
Wide side decks with handrail for safe boarding alongside moving ships
Wide square bow for boarding on stationary ships and docks
Large ‘rocker’ on the sides for breaking away from ships and dock easily and without damage to stern.
Flattish inclined forward quarter for stable pushing against moving ships.
Superstructure within 30degrees of vertical for protection when rolling in heavy sea against ship side.
Docking:
Docking keel to sit on ship decks, trucks, or yards.
Keel extends below propeller to protect from grounding.
Rope guard against fouling.
Rudder:
Large  rudder for maneuverability, supported at top and bottom.
Tight turning circle.
Classification:
LRS, CE