Australia: Yamaha four-stroke outboards have been selected to power the latest Coast Guard boat launched in Victoria. The new Coast Guard vessel is a Razerline 8.5-metre aluminium boat with an enclosed wheelhouse. Yamaha four-stroke outboard engines were chosen for their power, reliability and efficiency.
"We desperately needed a bigger boat to replace our 'Savage' aluminium hull," said Commander Peter Barrow, who joined the Coast Guard in 1963 and has been Commander since 1986.
"Our 'Savage' is running a pair of Yamaha 67kW two-stroke outboards and we have been exceptionally happy with these engines. When it came time to put a specification together for a bigger boat that would give us a more extensive patrol range, we requested that Yamaha be specified in the tender document."
The Geelong Coast Guard selected an aluminium vee bottom hull design as it was felt that this configuration best suited the local water conditions. While the Razerline 8.5-metre model is rated to carry 447kW on the transom, the dual 150kW Yamaha four stroke engines provide more than enough power for both routine patrol work and towing.
Fitted with 43cm pitch props, the optimum cruise speed of 25 knots is achieved at 3,400rpm. Fuel consumption at this power setting is a very impressive 25 litre per hour per engine.
With 500 litres of fuel on board, the new Coast Guard boat has a cruise range of ten hours at 25 knots or a distance of 250 nautical miles. And when there is a genuine emergency to attend, the Yamaha engines can be wound out 6,000rpm for a wide open throttle speed of 40 knots.
In an ever changing scenario in the area of emergency services, the Coast Guard boat is also a fully accredited CFA (Country Fire Brigade) unit. The boat has a portable CFA-certified mobile water pump for fire fighting and can be called on by the CFA to attend boat fires if required.
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