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HM Customs Cutters

HM Customs and Excise operate a fleet of Customs Cutters around the coast of the United Kingdom.

There are many different types of Cutters, and the details below are for the "Island" Class Customs Cutter Sentinel.

HM Customs Cutter - SENTINEL

Sentinel is an "Island" class Customs Cutter.

She is a modified version of an extremely successful Vosper Thorneycroft design built under license for the US Coastguard.

Sentinel was built in 1993 by Vosper Thorneycroft at Portchester near Portsmouth.

She is of steel hull / aluminium superstructure construction and has a length of 34 meters with a draught of 2 meters.

She is powered by 2 Paxman Valenta V12 diesel engines and has a Vosper Thoreycroft waterjet for slow speed propulsion driven by a Perkins V8 diesel engine.

Sentinel's top speed is in excess of 25 knots.

A crew of 12 officers drawn from HM Customs and excise personnel operate the vessel, though she has accommodation for another five persons.

A six meter Rigid Inflatable Boat is carried for boarding / rapid interception duties.

Sentinel has a full range of modern radar, communications, surveillance and safety apparatus for which the crews are trained by UK Merchant Navy Colleges.

A 24-hour Operations Centre acts in support of the Cutters and the National Investigation service.