A new pilot boat manufactured for the Sri Lanka Ports Authority was handed over to SLPA on Monday at the Colombo Dockyard PLC, ministry sources said.

Built by the Colombo Dockyard PLC, the pilot boat was designed by Macduff Ship Designing Ltd; of Scotland. The pilot boat with a length of 19 metres is designed to easily accommodate four pilots and four sailors. With a top speed of 22 knots (units of nautical miles), this vessel is specially designed to operate under any weather condition prevailing in Sri Lanka.

Addressing the gathering, State Minister of Warehouse Facilities, Container Yards, Port Supply Facilities and Boats and Shipping Industry Development, Jayantha Samaraweera said that it marked a special day for Sri Lankan marine vessel manufacturing that had well demonstrated the excellence of the Colombo Dockyard PLC in vessel building.

“This is a sustainable step forward in highlighting Sri Lanka’s state-of-the- art vessel building capacities creating a positive attitude towards craft manufacturing capabilities in Sri Lanka,” he said.

In view of the pandemic situation prevailing in the country, the event had been organized under health regulatory guidelines.

Secretary to the State Ministry of Warehouse Facilities, Container Yards, Port Supply Facilities and Boats and Shipping Industry Development, D. D. Matararachchi, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), General Daya Ratnayake, Vice Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), Prof. Prasantha Jayamanne, Harbour Master of Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), Captain Nirmal Silva, Colombo Dockyard PLC Chairman, Hideaki Tanaka, its Managing Director / CEO, D.V. Abeysinghe and several other officials of both institutions were present.