North River Boats, Inc. of Roseburg, Oregon has recently delivered the first of up to 95 boats in a 5 year contract with the United States Coast Guard; the AB-Small (Aids to Navigation Boat – Small). The boat will be deployed at land based or Cutter based Aids to Navigation Teams (ANT). The AB-Small is equipped with an EZ Loader single axle heavy duty trailer for launching via shore. It is also equipped with hoisting slings to be lifted on and off of Cutter Ships. The 18-foot AB-Small is a combination of two different North River models, the “Revenge” and the “Sounder”. It has a 10-degree dead rise with a wide step chine for stability. The boat is powered by a pair of twin Honda 50 hp EFI four stroke outboard engines. The Honda 4-stroke engines easily surpassed the minimum requirement of 70nm range and have a top speed of 31 knots. The AB-Small will have a 26 gallon fuel tank. At a cruising speed of 26 knots, the boat burns 4.8 gallons per hour for both engines.
