Hart Marine Built Pilot Boat for UAE

August 30, 2021

Brad Marsden

Director - Marine Air Flow International

35 Years Experience in the Marine Industry

View Brad's Info

Hart Marine Supplied A New Pilot Boat for Dubai With MAFI Equipment

Designed by Pantocarene Naval Architects and built by Australian boat builder Hart Marine, this new 17 meter pilot boat was delivered to P&O Maritime Logistics for use in the United Arab Emirates. The "Al Dairah" will be operating out of the ports of Rashid and Jebel Ali in Dubai piloting larger vessels in and out of these UAE shipping facilities.



Al Dairah Pilot Boat delivered to the UAE by Hart Marine


Marine Air Flow's Engine Room System Details


With both extreme heat and the possibility of rough conditions, this engine room system for the Al Dairah, needed to be able to maintain appropriate temperature levels within the engine room and accommodate for some rough seas. 


We chose a two stage air intake system, primarily for its capabilities in larger seas. In conjunction with the double stage grilles, we used our high volume fans to ensure an adequate intake air flow, and also utilised the same fan for extraction air.


The extraction fan was added to reduce the pressure in the system and aid with increasing the flow. While a positive pressure system is ideal having too much positive pressure can also decrease the performance of the fans. The real advantage with this system is the 2 supply air fans and there position in the ER. What is quite often over looked in a ventilation system is the position and use of the supply air fan discharge. The  velocity when correct positioned insures good positive circulation throughout the ER without the use of space consuming and expensive air ducts. This means we can often get a better result with less air required = less power consumption and reduced noise levels. 


Equipment Suppllied By MAFI


17.1 M Pilot Vessel "Al Dairah" built by Hart Marine


  • 2 x Double stage intake separator grilles complete with
  • rollover flaps
  • powder coated to satin black
  • inbuilt dorade and ducts
  • 3 x AC High Volume Fans 
  • 2 x supply air and 1 x extraction air
  • 3 x Stainless Steel Air Dampers complete with auto actuators
  • Fabric coalescing filter and frames to match two stage intake grilles
  • 3 x mesh finger guards for safety.


Al Dairah Reqirements



Built during COVID, the Al Dairah build could have been a very challenging process, however through virtual meetings, Hart Marine were able to deliver this unique vessel inside their usual time frames.


Suited to the extreme conditions that can be experienced in the UAE, the Al Dairah needed to be operational for 6,000 hours per year. Along with this large work load, the vessel needed to be both fuel efficient and able to operate at high speeds. 


Marine Air Flow have worked hand in hand with Hart Marine for some time now, and their professionaism and commitment to quality always makes it such an easy process to design and develop engine room ventilation systems for any project they complete. The added temperature constraints of the Al Dairah meant that we had to be at the top of our game to ensure safe, cool operating conditions for all those aboard. 


The Al Dairah complete with Marine Air Flow's engine room intake grilles

Images in this post are thanks to Baird Maritime's article about the Al Dairah which you should read for more info. 

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