Case Study: US Coast Guard Surf Boats Service Provider extends vessel service life with Cummins repower engines

US Coast Guard Surf Boats Service Provider - Customer Case Study

The US Coast Guard Surf Boats Service Provider needed to extend the service life of its 47-foot Motor Lifeboats (MLBs) while preserving the boats’ ability to perform in extreme surf conditions. Cummins was brought in as the engine vendor for the repower, replacing the original Detroit mains with marine engines suited to the Coast Guard’s demanding safety, performance, noise, and fuel-economy requirements.

Cummins supplied a pair of US-built QSC8.3-M six-cylinder engines for each repowered vessel. After extensive testing, the engines were selected and demonstrated strong results, producing 530 BHP each at 2600 RPM and exceeding contract requirements for noise reduction and fuel economy. The first upgraded boat was delivered and accepted by the US Coast Guard in summer 2020, and the program is set to extend the service life of more than 100 vessels built between 1997 and 2003.