VESSEL REVIEW | New rescue/training RIB for Australia’s east coast

Marine Rescue NSW is the volunteer rescue organisation throughout the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) and is subsidised by the NSW Government.

The organisation has just celebrated its tenth anniversary and has recently received AU$37.6 million (US$26.5 million) of funding from the NSW State Government to help deliver purpose-built rescue vessels, upgraded operational centres and improvements to the marine radio network.

Yamba Welding and Naiad Design have been working with MRNSW since 2011 to standardise its fleet, building rescue vessels from 4.6 to 10.0 metres. The latest addition, for Marine Rescue Crowdy Harrington, is a 6.8-metre centre console with bow door, allowing the bow area to become a useful work area.

CB20 measures in at 6.1 metres waterline length, with a beam of 2.5 metres, draught of 0.53 metres and depth of 0.54 metres, for a displacement of 2.5 tonnes.

The owner is currently running a 9.5-metre vessel built in 2014, and required a second rescue vessel for close, in-shore work off Crowdy Head and Harrington with easy access to the bow. Duties comprise rescue operations and training volunteers onboard.

This vessel incorporates both a bow door and starboard aft door for easier recovery of victims. A portable aluminium fabricated ladder affixes to cleats around the vessel and is stored on the inside on the gunwale. An outboard protection bar with bull horns and single heavy-duty towing bollard were also installed.

CB20 has a fixed, hard top canopy for sun protection, which also houses the radar, loudhailer and FLIR camera. The vessel is equipped with Hella LED lighting.

The chosen electronics setup is extensive for a boat this size, and comprises an Axiom Pro 9" MFD, Quantum 2 doppler radome, Ocean Scout 640 hand held FLIR, AIS950 Class A transceiver, RV100 3D transom mount transducer, Maretron heading sensor, Icom IC-M423B VHF transceiver, Hytera hand-held UHF, GME 27 MHz radio, external hailing horn speaker, Tait DCN radio and Gold Charts Navionics.

CB20 is powered by a pair 115hp (85 kW) outboards, for a maximum speed of 35 knots, cruising speed of 25 knots, and range of 145 nautical miles.