After years of effort and fundraising, as well as generous contributions from major funders, Coastguard North Shore’s brand new boat ‘North Shore Rescue’ was launched in a public ceremony at Browns Bay Marine Centre on Saturday March 4th. Following testing and refinements the new boat was scheduled to be totally operational in early April.
The new boat replaces North Shore Coastguard’s nine year old vessel which is being redeployed to be used by Coastguard Houhora in the Far North.
One of seven skippers at North Shore Coastguard is John Kothe. The new boat has been very much his baby as he was closely involved in project managing the design and build process. He says it has really been a decade in the making.
“The boat is similar to the older boat, but we have used our experience with that older boat to build a new one that has many improvements and refinements,” explained John Kothe in late March. “An obvious addition is seating for the first time. There are four shock-absorbing jockey seats for those long days in the water. There are also many other subtle changes in layout of such things as controls and storage.”
Prior to the build process the North Shore Coastguard project team put together a precise custom-designed specification so proposals could be obtained from prospective boat builders. The 9.5m alloy-hulled Quick Response Vessel ended up being built by AMF Boats in Whanganui.
The new vessel features state-of-the-art search-and-rescue technology, including Twin 250HP Yamaha V6 outboards and large capacity fuel tanks to give the vessel a far-reaching range. There is also a custom Simrad electronics package and touch display navigation and helm stations for easy operation in trying conditions. Other features include an integrated chartplotter, 4G radar, Automated Identification System (AIS) and sonar for reliable navigation and the accurate location of boats in the busy Hauraki Gulf.
Support from the community has been crucial in getting the new Coastguard Rescue Vessel across the line, with a large proportion of funding coming from shoppers at the Browns Bay Market. The popular market has contributed over $250,000 to the build cost of the new vessel.
Significant grants from Foundation North and the Lion Foundation have also been pivotal, as well as funding from Coastguard. This vital rescue asset services one of Coastguards busiest marine areas. The vessel is the newest addition to the 28-strong Coastguard fleet that supports Coastguard’s marine search and rescue activities around the Northern Region.
“The new North shore Rescue vessel is a vital upgrade for the popular Hauraki Gulf area, and ensures that boaties in one of the busiest boating spots in the country can rest assured that Coastguard has the right equipment to assist boaties in need of assistance,” said Coastguard Northern Region CEO Callum Gillespie at the official launch in early March. “We can’t thank the community enough for getting behind the funding of this crucial life-saving asset.”
Based at the Browns Bay Marine Centre, the Coastguard North Shore unit comprises of 63 volunteers who are rostered to be on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and will drop everything at their home or workplace when activated. Volunteers from Coastguard North Shore attended 195 incidents in 2016, ranging from mechanical difficulties to search-and-rescue emergencies.
“Our volunteers are made up of a diverse group, including people who are builders, IT specialists, PhD students and managers in their day jobs,” explains Coastguard North Shore President Charlie Morris. "But they’ve all got a common goal, to ensure boaties on the North Shore and in the Hauraki Gulf get home to safety.”
Well done Coastguard North Shore! The community really appreciates the service you provide in keeping our waters safe.
Visit: www.coastguard.org.nz
