Pro Team

Frank Kowalski is the owner and general manager of Safehaven Marine in Cork, Ireland.

Frank has a long history in the commercial marine industry and spent many days on the water in bad weather and rough-riding boats. This led to an intimate understanding of what constitutes a vessel’s seakeeping abilities and an appreciation for a boat’s ability to inspire confidence and a feeling of safety in the crew. He now designs and builds commercial pilot vessels and workboats and is gearing up to set a new Transatlantic record in a high speed patrol craft, Thunder Child II, using SHOXS seating for the crew and helmsman.

Having the best shock mitigation seating was essential

“Having the best shock mitigation seating was essential,” Frank says of the decision to outfit Thunder Child II with SHOXS. “Experience has shown that when running at high speeds over 35-40 knots in rough conditions, protecting the crew from high motions is extremely important and can become the limiting factor, especially considering the 4500km distance across the North Atlantic we face during our journey.”