Bay of Islands Community Welcomes New Coastguard Rescue Vessel

Coastguard Bay of Islands will launch its new dedicated rescue vessel at a ceremony this Saturday 20 February.

The provision of the Bay Rescue II will greatly enhance the marine search and rescue response in the Bay of Islands region and has been made possible by assistance and support from Coastguard New Zealand (through the Lottery Grants Board), ASB Community Trust, the Southern Trust and local fund raising efforts within the local community.

Coastguard CEO Bruce Reid says, “Bay Rescue II is a superb vessel and has been specially designed to meet the needs of the Bay of Islands community and our appreciation goes out to all involved in making this replacement vessel possible. One of the many strengths of Coastguard is the local community involvement and this is another example of that kind of support.”

“It’s been an extremely busy holiday season so far in the Northland region, and the addition of the Bay Rescue II to the Coastguard Bay of Islands fleet will make a significant difference to our response times and ultimately the safety of the Bay of Islands boating public.”

The Bay Rescue II will be officially launched at a naming and blessing ceremony on Saturday. The new rescue vessel is 10.3 metres in length, powered by two Yanmar 6LPA engines coupled with two Hamilton jet units for ease of maneuverability. It has a top speed of 36 knots and will be operated by four highly trained Coastguard volunteer crew.

From December to January this year, Coastguard Bay of Island volunteers alone have given 766 volunteer hours and attended 16 calls for assistance with 52 people assisted to safety.

ENDS

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