Pilot boat Chesapeake Classinboard

Starting with Brandywine, built for the Pilots of the Bay and River Delaware in 1957, Gladding-Hearn has built more than 80 pilot boats, operating in the United States and the Caribbean. They include over 15 of its popular 53-foot Chesapeake Class, along with its latest Chesapeake Class MKII launch.

The shipyard’s long association with C. Raymond Hunt Associates led to the first deep-V pilot boat hull, which cut commuting times in half and permitted safe boarding at higher speeds. Now the industry standard, Gladding-Hearn’s all-aluminum pilot boats – ranging in length from 40-foot launches to 75-foot station vessels – are characterized by a soft, dry ride, steady tracking, maneuverability, rugged construction, low upkeep and reliability.