The hydrofoil-assisted catamaran combines innovative design features critical to modern maritime law enforcement. One such feature is the inclusion of Teknicraft ’s Rapid RHIB launching system. This feature which is integrated into the stern of the vessel, increases safety and reduce the time and manpower required to deploy the vessels’ rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB). It will allow for deployment and retrieval in under 1 minute.
The Captain Murchison is also the first vessel in North America to feature Hamilton Jet’s innovative Advanced Vessel Control (AVX) system. The new AVX features include both a station keeping and a JETanchor positioning system.
TPWD is responsible for patrolling state waters of Texas, out to 9 nautical miles in the Gulf of Mexico. However, TPWD and Texas Game Wardens also patrol an additional 200 nautical miles into exclusive economic zones through a joint enforcement agreement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency. The Law Enforcement Division of TPWD, based in Austin Texas, “provides a comprehensive statewide law enforcement program to protect Texas’ wildlife, other natural resources, and the environment”.
Texas Game Wardens are also the first line of defence in the nation’s border security initiatives in the Gulf of Mexico. The Game Wardens needed a vessel capable of operating in adverse sea and weather conditions to fulfill this mission. This new vessel will fill a vital role in the enforcement of environmental and patrolling responsibilities.